Kids can be amazing sometimes

I was watching Ellen the other day & she had a 5 year old musical prodigy on who not only played piano but also spoke fluently both English & Mandarin. Ellen is pretty known for bringing talented, bubbly children on her show (we all know Sophia Grace & Rosie) so seeing a young child with talent shouldn't be too much of a surprise, right? 

I don't know what it is but every time I see a child with any ability beyond picking their nose, I'm amazed! Sure you hear stories like Justin Bieber playing the drums at 2 & you see kids on tv all the time, but to actually see a child right in front of you, playing an instrument, singing soulfully, or dancing better than a professional is so incredible. 

While the talent I see in the kids around me (all of my [not] nieces & nephews) may not be Ellen Show worthy, I have some pretty amazing kids in my life. Brianna is learning to sing (& her daddy's making sure she's in tune), Mady is dancing & learning songs too, & little 10 month old Robert Davis can keep a beat better than a lot of adults I know. 

All of this is basically to say that I am really blesses & amazed at the talent o the children around me.

Happy Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a time when families get together. Whether a military family or not, everyone across America takes time to draw their loved ones near & enjoy the day together. A popular American tradition is the Memorial Day cookout. My family, like many others, indulged on this tradition yesterday. We had everyone over and my day quickly became full of whiny children, watermelon, bar-be-que chicken, tee-ball, sunshine, smiles, catch, & corn on the cob! 

This is happening right now, and I am so so happy.

I got home from my Sophomore year of college yesterday. After a 6 & 1/2 hour long drive, I quickly said hello to my family, unpacked the car, & found my way to my bed. About an hour or two later I heard little footsteps, I opened my eyes and there they were. Brianna & Mady were at the end of my bed, smiling from ear to ear, so excited to see me.

They really missed me a lot, & all night they kept telling me that they loved me, that they were "Callie's girls", and that they missed me "too much". They're the sweetest. 

I don't understand how they like me so much, but they do, & as much as they may drive me crazy some days, I love them so much & being around them makes me very happy. 

Stay tuned...

Although this blog was started for one of my classes this past semester, I'm not shutting it down. This summer, I'm going to be seeing these kids a lot, & I want to share with everyone how much I learn from them.

Being Involved

I feel like it's very important to be involved in a child's life whether you hold a position as a parent, grandparent, [not]aunt, or neighbor, if there is a child or children in your life, it's dire that you show up and be a role model for them. The following articles display reasons why you should be involved in a child's life, the benefits for the child, and ways in which you can: enjoy!

University of Florida: Being Involved with Your School-Age Child
The Importance of Being Involved in Your Child's Life
Texas A&M: 20 Reasons Why Your Child Needs You to Be an Active Father
6 Steps to Being a Good Role Model for a Child
Positive Role Models

The Power in Sports

Within the past few years my cousins have become very close to my parents (their aunt & uncle) and therefore are at my house..often (to say the least). My cousin, Brandi, has two sons, Jayveon (age 7) and Jordan (age 4). I have a very hard time relating to them, especially Jayveon.
He's at the "learning to become defiant" age (7) where he doesn't want to listen to any one, especially not some girl he barely knows that shows up once every few months because she's away getting an education. He drives me crazy. Daily. And he does not relent. Ever. I'm constantly trying to find ways that I can keep him quiet or busy and just, frankly, out of my hair. I know, I'm not the best human being, okay? I get it. You'll have to excuse me.
Anyway, I have figured out how to connect with him. Over spring break, when I was home, I was trying to catch the MLB spring training games. I just wanted to sit on the couch and actually watch my teams play. Low and behold, Jayveon comes waltzing through the door. I gave a dramatic sigh to express my displeasure with now having to take care of a child that doesn't like the sight of me. He came into the den where I was (all sassy like), and right before he opened his mouth to begin trying to boss me around, he noticed the baseball games on TV and excitedly asked, "are you watching this?" I said yes, of course, and he was quiet. Now none of you know this boy, but for him to be quiet is something so incredible. He slowly walked backwards to sit with me on the couch and watch the games. We watched the spring training games, and then watched some of the NCAA March Madness games, for hours. For the rest of the week, we watched games, played catch in the backyard, and even got a small game going. It was the first time I've ever been able to connect with the child and it was really, just so exciting.
The reason I bring this up is because I'm going home in three days. I'm going to have to get used to seeing this kid every day. This is to remind myself that I can get along with the child. This is also to encourage anyone out there having trouble relating to a child (or peer/elder) that there is always something for you to relate on, whether that be sports or some hobby, there is always something that will break the barrier.