Spelling matters to me, mostly because the world today, well, can’t spell. I give the kids $10 a week for a perfect spelling test. What do they get if they miss one? Nothing. Perfect spelling is rewarded. When I came in off the road L proudly presented me with his spelling paper saying he had gotten 100. “I owe you money then sweetie” and he gave me a test with a big 90 written on it. When I asked about it Lincoln said he spelled the words correctly but she took 10 points off because he didn’t write it in cursive, something they are learning in third grade. We practiced for the next week and as I was dropping him off on Friday the last thing I said was “Don’t forget the cursive.” When I picked him up I asked if he remembered to write in cursive. He said he didn’t have to. I looked surprised. He says “I explained to my teacher she was costing me money because I was spelling the words correctly but not able to do it in cursive perfectly yet” and she told him he didn’t have to write it in cursive. Gotta smile.. It’s a great feeling, too, to know your kids can fend for themselves.

Moms are unique. Everyone knows that. Sierra had a little girl stay the night Friday night. I was cooking dinner. Sierra reached for something and it dropped on the floor. Do you want it Sierra asked her friend? No Emily replied, my mom has a 5 second rule but I don’t eat things that have dropped on the floor. We asked about the five second rule and with a house full of children her mother has decided if it has only been on the floor for five seconds it is okay to eat. Made me laugh. Moms.

I had business last week in the midwest on Monday morning so I went to Tunica on Friday night as they had a WSOP Main Event on Saturday. Cold and wet. I got to my room, threw my stuff in and headed to the poker room. Got to my room at 2:45 a.m. and it was FREEZING. Called the front desk and they mumbled something about maintenance but since I was playing the Main Event at noon I didn’t want the hassle. Took the covers from the other bed and doubled it up and got some sleep. Next day when I left I put the heat on high. Played Day 1 and returned to my room. “Heat” was still running but blowing like air conditioning. It was unbelievably cold in the room, what to do, didn’t want to wait on maintenance if they would even show up at that time, didn’t want the hassle of moving rooms and wasn’t about to undress and freeze to death. Took off my shoes and slept in my clothes, jacket and all. Had to laugh at the image of those who think my life is all luxury .. but it worked, they did fix it the next day. My Tunica adventure. Ha.

It’s a shame … This political system. I live and breathe politics as we know it and I am turned off by the whole thing already. I don’t know how it will all end but I’m truly afraid the average American simply won’t care … That’s sad.

Hard as it is to believe Hayden was born 21 years ago today. It was cold and it was rainy and it was Baton Rouge but I sure was happy to see that 8.6 pound boy get here. There isn’t anyone who knows me who doesn’t know how incredibly close Hayden and I were .. and are. I miss you Big H and I wish you were here .. never thought I’d have to do it without you. Love, Mom

On the way to school this morning Sierra had her day long cheerleading camp form in hand to turn into the office. I said did you get the $30 and she said No. So I dug $30 out of my wallet and handed it to her. When I picked them up from school a few minutes ago she told me I needed to call the place where the camp was being held and register directly through them. I told her fine to give me the form and the $30 and I would get it done. Seems like after I dropped them off this morning and the school office told her it was too late to register at the elementary school office she and Lincoln went on a shopping spree at the school science fair. I told them to go into the house and get their money to replace what they spent as I had already given them all I was giving them for the fair. You would have thought I asked them to cut off their arm and hand it to me. A full war erupted. Lincoln wanted to know if he could give it to me in quarters, I told him I didn’t care as long as what they handed me totaled $30. It ended up funny as I handed her a $20 and a $10 this morning and what I got back is baggie full of ones and quaters and dimes …. but the lesson is there, right?