Me, Shea & Hot Chocolate
There is a coffee house in Simi Valley called Valentino's. Shea started dancing when she was 2 1/2 years old and I started going there to buy a hot chocolate for myself and usually get something for her dance teacher, Miss Traci. It's a family owned coffee house with the mom and two daughters. Over the years, Shea & I have made it one of our favorite stops- even when it's blazing hot outside, we will still stop and get a hot chocolate. They make it with McSteven's chocolate and as many times as I have tried to recreate it, it just never tastes as good as when we buy it from Valentino's. I even went so far as to buy a milk "steamer" which proved to be more work than just driving the 20 minutes to get to Valentino's! Shea's orthodontist is out in Simi and so is our hair salon, so last week, we made two stops at the coffee house. Now that Shea is older, she just runs in and I wait in the car- it makes her feel like she is doing something nice for me! (which she is) Some days, we will actually get a bagel (blueberry is my favorite-real butter only) or Shea will get a banana nut muffin and sit and have our hot chocolate out of a "pretty" tea cup. On Friday, Shea came out and told me that the lady, Sue, was just going on and on at how much of a young lady Shea is now- and that she remembers her when she was a baby. She told me that Sue said to say "hi" to me and made mention how sweet I am! (Sue is extremely perceptive- did I mention that?) At the counter, they have a tiny bowl with these cards that have different characteristics on them- the point is to pick one and it is supposed to describe what you are supposed to focus on for that particular day. The first day, Shea picked "integrity" for herself and "happiness" for me. Shea's school defines a characteristic each month, however, Shea asked me what "integrity" was. I tried to explain it in simple terms- I just said it's pretty much like honesty and making the right choices so when you go to sleep at night, you can feel good about who you are as a person. She giggled and told me that she picked "happiness" for me and kiddingly said, "Oh Mom, what is happiness?" I just rolled my eyes and said, "This hot chocolate! I mean- you are, SweetiePuss!" I went on to tell her that by her picking a card for me, it doesn't really "count" because that would be like me choosing her fortune cookie! You have to pick your own or it doesn't work the same! The second day, Shea picked "everything " for herself and "openess" for me. "Everything" means just as it says- focus on all of the different characteristics, not only one. When Shea told me that she picked "openess" for me, it's all she could do not to laugh in my face! She just said, "You can't tell me that "openess" isn't perfect for YOU!" Hey, what can I say...I am an open book, a real page-turner and a good read at that! I also think that one time, I drew a "blank card"- I remember that day being a good one- I love that saying, "Ignorance is bliss!" Sometimes, it's nice to focus on "nothing!"
If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters.
Alan Simpson
The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.
General H. Norman Schwarzkopf
Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.
John Lennon
There is a coffee house in Simi Valley called Valentino's. Shea started dancing when she was 2 1/2 years old and I started going there to buy a hot chocolate for myself and usually get something for her dance teacher, Miss Traci. It's a family owned coffee house with the mom and two daughters. Over the years, Shea & I have made it one of our favorite stops- even when it's blazing hot outside, we will still stop and get a hot chocolate. They make it with McSteven's chocolate and as many times as I have tried to recreate it, it just never tastes as good as when we buy it from Valentino's. I even went so far as to buy a milk "steamer" which proved to be more work than just driving the 20 minutes to get to Valentino's! Shea's orthodontist is out in Simi and so is our hair salon, so last week, we made two stops at the coffee house. Now that Shea is older, she just runs in and I wait in the car- it makes her feel like she is doing something nice for me! (which she is) Some days, we will actually get a bagel (blueberry is my favorite-real butter only) or Shea will get a banana nut muffin and sit and have our hot chocolate out of a "pretty" tea cup. On Friday, Shea came out and told me that the lady, Sue, was just going on and on at how much of a young lady Shea is now- and that she remembers her when she was a baby. She told me that Sue said to say "hi" to me and made mention how sweet I am! (Sue is extremely perceptive- did I mention that?) At the counter, they have a tiny bowl with these cards that have different characteristics on them- the point is to pick one and it is supposed to describe what you are supposed to focus on for that particular day. The first day, Shea picked "integrity" for herself and "happiness" for me. Shea's school defines a characteristic each month, however, Shea asked me what "integrity" was. I tried to explain it in simple terms- I just said it's pretty much like honesty and making the right choices so when you go to sleep at night, you can feel good about who you are as a person. She giggled and told me that she picked "happiness" for me and kiddingly said, "Oh Mom, what is happiness?" I just rolled my eyes and said, "This hot chocolate! I mean- you are, SweetiePuss!" I went on to tell her that by her picking a card for me, it doesn't really "count" because that would be like me choosing her fortune cookie! You have to pick your own or it doesn't work the same! The second day, Shea picked "everything " for herself and "openess" for me. "Everything" means just as it says- focus on all of the different characteristics, not only one. When Shea told me that she picked "openess" for me, it's all she could do not to laugh in my face! She just said, "You can't tell me that "openess" isn't perfect for YOU!" Hey, what can I say...I am an open book, a real page-turner and a good read at that! I also think that one time, I drew a "blank card"- I remember that day being a good one- I love that saying, "Ignorance is bliss!" Sometimes, it's nice to focus on "nothing!"
If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters.
Alan Simpson
The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.
General H. Norman Schwarzkopf
Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.
John Lennon
posted by AD @ 5:59 PM
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