Baby Z's Goals

I was listening to a famous speaker once, and he asked a question. He asked, "How many of you have helped your children make 5-year plans?"

No hands went up.

"I've been all around the world asking that question," he went on to say, "and in other countries, they're raising their hands." He then spoke about how Americans have fallen so far behind other countries when it comes to educating and preparing our children for the future.

That was a few months ago, but it stuck with me, so I decided to help the baby with her very first plan. She said 5-years is a little much, so we started with this:

Baby Z's 5-Month Plan

 *Note: All of these plans were written by the baby, not me.

Month 1- Learn how to do my own hair (I guess my mom does an alright job, but she keeps giving me these baby styles. I've got an image to uphold.)

Month 2- Audition for American Idol (Why not? Everyone else does.)

Month 3-Get the parents to start giving me allowance. (I mean, seriously, how do they expect me to save for college and I don't have any money?)



Month 4-Get enrolled in kindergarter (Since I already know how to scribble, sings songs and take naps, I figure I've already got pre-school down. I'm headed straight to the big leagues!)

Month 5- Get an iphone 4 (I keep telling my mom, "I'm not a baby anymore!" I'm 13 months old, for goodness' sake. And I'm the only baby young adult on the block without one. How embarassing.)

Okay, so this is obviously a joke, but when she gets older (like around 5 or 6) her father and I are going to help her start making goals. We gotta prepare these kids early. It's tough out there!



Zara's Mommy,
Nadirah Angail

Self Deprecation is NOT the New Black

I’m really new to this mom blogging thing, but I’ve noticed it’s pretty normal for moms to put themselves down…a lot. I consider it normal to have moments of self doubt, as evidenced by my Fat Cow Moments post, but to regularly talk down about yourself is not cool.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a SAHM who’s lost contact with most of her friends and rarely sees the light of day. It doesn’t matter if you’ve lost your girlish figure and have been trying to get it back for the past decade. It doesn’t matter if you’re divorced (and kind of bitter) or single (and kind or bitter) or married (and kind of bitter). Love yourself and the wonderful children you’ve been blessed with, even if they do terrorize your house.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to make changes in your life, but complaining about it and making yourself the butt of jokes doesn’t change anything. If you’d like to get out more, lose weight, go back to school, get a man (or lose a man), do it. Of course, it’s a lot easier said than done, but it’s not impossible. Make it a priority in your life the same way you’ve made your children a priority. If your daughter needs new slippers for ballet and you don’t have the money, you find a way to get them anyway. If your son needs you to pick him up from school because he’s feeling sick and you're in the middle of something important, you find a way to get there anyway. We make time for the things that are important. If you’re important (and I know you are) then make time for yourself and begin to reach for some of those goals that you’ve abandoned. It’s your life, and no one else’s. You have the responsibility of making it what you want!

Zara's Mommy,
Nadirah Angail