Dear Dad

Dear Daddy,

You work really hard. It may not seem like I, or my siblings, notice but we really do. And we appreciate it. I know you do it for us. And your job is way not easy. Lately you have been working eleven hour days, five and often six days a week. Plus you have to go on business trips to places which I know is not your favorite thing. Then you sometimes have to work from home too on your off days. When you aren't working on your job you are making our house a nicer place to live. When we bought this place seven years ago it was not a home. The thorns and weeds were choking what grass there was left in the yard, the basement was a hole, the kitchen was falling apart. Those are just a few of the issues. Since then you have made it a home. You've made it some place we want and love to be. Coming home, tired from your job, you worked on this house or worked to pay for someone else to. The basement is great, the main level is lovely and all the bathrooms are usable now. :) The yard looks amazing. The thorns and weeds are gone, the garden looks good, the grass (which you labored over) is green. And WE HAVE A TREE HOUSE!!!!!! Best thing ever. It was really fun working without on that with you.

Thanks for being Coach Dad (remember when Jenn called you that on accident and everyone else began to as well?). You were the assistant coach on my very first team when I was four. And you coached Lauren her whole life up until this year. You have also coached Ana many seasons and have poured in time with DLB'S team too. I mean, that is three to five nights of practice for eighteen weeks a year. Not to mention every Saturday being full of games. I remember when you coached three soccer teams at the same time for a year or two, when no one else would step up. I don't how you did it. Dealing with  a team six year olds is hard on its own. At the same time putting up with two teams which were either hitting puberty or just beginning to come out of it.... I can't even imagine. You were so patient. And I don't care how many times anyone thanked you for what you did, it doesn't cover it. You are incredible.

And thanks for helping me with math and science. Especially math. I know math is something that is pretty easy for you, but it is very, very hard for me. I really appreciate you taking the time after dinner, when you were tired and wanted to go to bed, to come and help me. I know it was frustrating for you why I didn't get it, and sometimes I refused to even try but thanks for sticking with me on that.

Thanks for teaching me how to ski! I know I snowboard now but hitting the mountains is something I will always love, mostly because it means I get to hang out with you. Thanks for teaching me yourself and also sometimes making me take ski school. It has made me a much better rider. And I really enjoy it now.

I love going out to breakfast or coffee with you. And we would eat huge pancakes and you would teach me how to play Rummy or Go Fish. Now we talk and laugh and have great discussions. These are memories that are really special. It is so wonderful to spend one on one time with you.

Thank you for being there for me. I know I have not been a very easy kid to have. For one thing I have had a lot of large medical expenses, I mean, just this year I have been really ill and have had to have surgery and other things going on. Plus with my huge sensory issues I have had almost all the therapies which have been offered. Also braces. And up until I was twelve or thirteen I had zero filter and said things and did things and made faces I shouldn't have (my filter still is not very good but it is  a lot better thanks to you and mom).

I know I, and those other kids you have, do a lot to bug you. We fight and complain and do stupid things and make you mad. But thanks for loving us and spending time with us and working for us. I love you. And I am so glad you are my dad.

Love,
Lela

Disney Royals

Let's talk about DISNEY PRINCESSES.

Yay! *balloons, confetti, steamers* Whoop whoop.

I want all those dresses. Just saying. What an awesome wardrobe that would be.

The Categories (by me) of Disney Princesses:

The Original Three:

• Snow White
• Cinderella
• Aurora

The Next Generation:

• Belle
• Jasmine
• Pocahontas
• Mulan
• Ariel
• Tinkerbell (who was later removed)

The New Girls:

• Tiana
• Rapunzel
• Merida
• Elsa
• Anna

Royal by birth:

• Snow White
• Jasmine
• Aurora
• Ariel
• Rapunzel
• Merida
• Anna
• Elsa

Royal by marriage:

• Cinderella
• Belle
• Tiana

Mulan is the only non-royal princess in the franchise. She does meet all the requirements though.That leads us to...

The Requirements for a Disney Princess (or Making the List):

1. She must be the featured character in an animated Disney film
2. She must be human (or at least close to human...ahem, Ariel)
3. She is not featured primarily in the sequel (she has to make her debut in the first film)

Disney Princesses, with exceptions, are all good singers, have a gift with animals and show inner and outer beauty. And most them have a romantic relationship with a Disney Prince. Ah, now I will have to make of list of Disney Princes.

 Official Princes:

• Prince Florian/Ferdinand (Snow White's Prince) (royalty)
• Prince Charming (Cinderella's Prince) (royalty)
• Prince Phillip (Aurora's Prince) (royalty)
• Prince Eric (Ariel's Prince) (royalty)
• Prince Adam/The Beast (Belle's Prince) (royalty)
• Aladdin ( Jasmine's Prince) (not royalty as far as we know- orphan)
• John Smith (Pocahontas' Prince) (not royalty)
• Li Shang (Mulan's Prince) (not royalty)
• Prince Naveen (Tiana's Prince)  (I think he's royalty...)
• Eugene Fitzherbert (Rapunzel's Prince) (not royalty as far as we know- orphan)
• Kristoff (Anna's Prince) (not royalty as far as we know- orphan)

Look at them with their toothy smiles, funky feathered hats and long hair....

So, who are your favorite Disney Princesses and Princes? Who is your favorite couple?  Mulan is my favorite Princess followed by Merida and Belle. And my favorite Princes are Flynn/Eugene and The Beast. And this is based on character... not looks.

So, what do you guys think of the Disney Royalty? And who should be on these lists who isn't (think about that one).



Sources:
http://disneyprincess.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Disney_Princesses
http://disneyprincess.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Disney_Princes
http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Disney_Prince
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_Princess

I'm Not Sorry

If I did something to offend someone and they don't tell me I can't apologize and make it right. If they do tell me and I believe that I still did not think I did anything wrong I will not apologize.

If someone accuses me of something I did not do and tries to make me apologize I will not do it. Because apologizing means I accept I did wrong. But if I did not do wrong and still apologize I am compromising my character.

I won't back down. 

When I was about 11 or 12 I played on a recreational girl's soccer team, new coaches (a dad and his friend), same team. One day we had a game against a team that had a girl on it who was very aggressive and physical. 

Now, if you know me you know I am very competitive. I hate losing. And I enjoy physical sports, soccer and Ultimate Frisbee being my favorites. And I am pushy. I won't play dirty but I will play hard, and fouls happen.

Anyway, this girl was a little bit bigger than me and I was playing a defensive position and she was playing offense on my side of the field and we came into contact often. And I believe that I was one of the first people to push her back and that made her angry. We played on the spectator's side of the field, in plain view of everyone and we had it going, legally. But she was mad and started cussing and eventually her coach took her out a little while before the game ended.

At the end of the game my coaches asked who had been defending her and I raised my hand. I was fairly proud of myself for holding my own and not letting her into my end of the field and scoring. The assistant took me aside and told me I had to apologize to her.

I was very confused and asked why.

He told me that her coach had told them that she had said I had punched her.

I hadn't done it. She had made it up to get back at me.

I said I didn't do it.

My coaches said I had to apologize anyway and took me over there to make me say I was sorry.

I wasn't sorry.

I had done nothing wrong.

When we got to their end of the field I didn't say anything but one of the coaches said, "She's sorry."

I still wasn't sorry. 

I had nothing to be sorry for.

Now I was mad.

I got my gear together as fast as I could and stalked to where my mom was. She asked what was wrong and I told her I would let her know in the car.

When I told her she was mad too and we got back out of that car and back onto that field and she talked with one of the coaches. One of the coaches who wouldn't listen to his own player.

I got an apology from them. 

And I will not be forced to apologize for something I didn't do.

I did take away a good lesson from that though. And it has helped me over the last year or so.

Blogging Ideas

I am not a great blogger by any means but I have done this for a few years. Although I am not very constant I have done it and I will continue.

And I know other bloggers who struggle like I do, not knowing what to post. That is one of my main problems. So I have come up with a list of prompts that may help people post some stuff and get into blogging (or maybe vlogging) or continue blogging if they have had a dry spell of ideas (and I will probably use these myself because I am cool like that).

I made one for each week of the year!!!!!!

1. Blog about a time when you got lost
2. Write a review of your favorite book or movie
3. Compare your favorite sport to your least favorite sport and try and write about why you like one and dislike the other
4. Have siblings? Well there are things called "eldest child syndrome", "middle child syndrome" and "youngest child syndrome". Look them up according to your placement in the family and write about whether or not you think it matches you (and then ask your family)
5. What Shakespeare play do you hear the most reference to? And what lines?
6. Write about about one time when you were in an emergency and what happened and what you did
7. Tell the story about one time when you were babysitting and something went wrong
8. Talk about one time when you were deliciously scared (like ghost stories in the woods) and then compare it to one time when you were really scared (like being home alone at night and hearing noises down stairs or something)
9. Tell us about your favorite dessert
10. Blog a fun story from your childhood
11. Had an interesting day? Tell us!
12. Make a post about all the injuries you have  had
13. What was your favorite thing to play when you were younger?
14. What is on your bucket list?
15. Favorite names for kids (and if you're a writer, characters) and why
16. Write a rant about the incorrect spellings that make you the maddest (is it there, their? to, two, too? Yeah, ya, yay?)
17. What is something you think people need to hear? (something positive)
18. What do you want to say to people?
19. Blog about one time when you got blamed for something that wasn't your fault.... that may still make you just the least bit angry.....
20. Blog about your most favorite family vacation!
21. Make a blog post of your favorite photos and talk about what each one means to you
22. What did you do the last time you got together with friends?
23. Have you ever been in/witnessed a car accident? Tell us the story
24. Tell about your pet peeve
25. Blog about the best snow day you ever had (post photos if you have them)
26. Have you ever won anything? What was it and how excited were you?
27. What is one of your biggest life goals?
28. You have three wishes! What will you ask for?
29. Retell your favorite childhood fairytale  
30. Whip up your favorite snack or dessert  recipe and take pictures as you go. And then post the photos and recipe!
31. Compare a movie that was based off a book to the actual book. Which was better?
32. Write about your three favorite songs and why you like them
33. Blog about what you do on Super Bowl Sunday
34. Type up your opinion on Frozen (and seriously don't be a nitpicker)
35. Make a quiz for yourself and answer it (and pretend like you're being interviewed or something)
36. Tell us about the best pet you've ever had
37. Find pictures of yourself as a baby and post. Easy right? That's for a brain dead day
38. Blog about the best birthday you ever had
39. Make a list of ten weird things about your family
40. What is your favorite family tradition?
41. What do you do on the weekends? And if it depends on the weather then tell each scenario. And then share your ideal weekend. 
42. Mountains vs. the ocean, make a list of pros and cons!
43. Write a post about King Elessar and kittens
44. Write a quiz about your favorite fandom
45. Make a list of your favorite Disney princesses (and then make one of your favorite Disney couples)
46. What scene in UP made you cry the most?
47. Favorite TV show! And then favorite season and favorite episode. And why. Always say why.
48. Write a parody of Do you Want to Build a Snowman
49. Take a bunch of photos of yourself in hats and post. Post many. Hats are awesome
50. Blog about the origin of hashtags. Make it up and make it interesting
51. If there was another option for eye color (other than blue, green, gray, brown or purple) what would you make it be and why?
52. Write a heartfelt remembrance on the past year

A blog post idea, one for every week of the year! Have fun!!


If you use one of my prompts comment on this post, tell me which prompt you used, leave a link and I'll check it out!

Also, let me know if you have any other recommendations to add!

I Will Make It

Let It Go- My Favorites

I decided to compile a list of my favorite Let It Go covers/mashups/parodies.A playlist more for me because I LOVE this song. I guess it kind heard/watched it at a time when I needed to hear something like it and I think it's the same for a lot other people too. No particular order, just fun and a lot of talent. Enjoy!

 By Alex Boyé, The One Voice Children’s Choir, and Lexi Walker (cover)

 

  By Sam Tsui (a mashup with Let Her Go)

 Dad and daughter duet (not sure what to call this... a cover? Awesome dad award?)

 Maddie and Zoe (cover)

The Weatherman (parody)

 By Caleb Hyles (cover, and I love this one)

 Jannina W (cover)

 Multi-language version (awesomeness)

 Jun Sung Ahn on the Violin (cover)

 Christina Bianco (a comedy cover)

By Anthem Lights (mashup)

And a free Do You Want to Build a Snowman from Disney (seriously watch it).

The Kids Need to Know!

This kid with a blooooog is posting her list. :)

1. Being you is the best thing to be!
2. You don't have to pretend that you're not scared of something you're really scared of. Everyone (and I mean everyone) has huge fears of some sort or another, whether they admit it or not.
3. Do what you love! So what if it's "not cool"; make it cool! You decide what cool is!
4. Wear it! Wear your favorite outfit! And rock it! And if anyone says they dislike it they can pound sand.
5. Read old books people! Don't just read the new popular things! You're missing out on so much!
6. Be kind! Not nice... that's totally different but be kind.
7. Write in a journal! You forget stuff and when you go back and read things you wrote three, five or twenty years ago it is priceless! 
8. Be friends with your siblings. No kidding. They should be at the top of your friends list and you know why? This year and in ten, twenty years guess who you are spending Christmas with. Food for thought. ;)
9. Sing your favorite songs really loud and dance. It's good for you. 
10. Talk to God. Seriously. He's awesome.
11. Enjoy life. There's a reason that you're here and you should love that. I'm not saying go through life with nothing in your head but be happy that you get a chance to live the life you do.
12. Don't lose your creativeness! I don't care what you say, you are creative.

#thekidsneedtoknow