Choose Wisely

Recently, I changed jobs.
Well, kinda. I moved from teaching all day at an elementary school to teaching half days at a middle school. The other half of my day is spent with data. I'll spare you the enthralling details of that portion of work and just say that I now spend a great deal of time glued to a computer screen.

This move was a very welcomed one - I had been feeling the need for a change for a couple of years. Other changes, however, have not been met with the warmest welcome.

Take, for example, a few alarming things I've discovered in the mirror --namely two gray hairs upon my head, one gray eyebrow hair, and four lovely forehead wrinkles. In addition to those lovely discoveries, I noticed a few new lines which have cropped up around my eyes as of late.

Two words: crow's feet.

Can I blame it on the computer screen? The expression I wear all day, every day that I'm at school?

Expression (wrinkles) worn for the majority of my time at school.

Whatever the case, I can't like it. I now get why women get Botox! If my sweet husband (and many (ok, all)) of my friends in the medical field weren't so against it, I'd probably be riding that Botox wave, too. Those lines on my face are just foreign to me.

I've tried face primer.
Anti-aging/wrinkle cream.
Drinking lots of water.
Getting more sleep.
Nothing helps.

I even bought a real classy pair of $5.98 reading glasses today at the Wal-Mart to help with my new pet crows.  But I have no faith in any of that. I think those lines are here to stay. Stubborn and unmoving - much like their new owner. Me. I'm talking about me. I'm stubborn.


But while we're on the topic of stubborn, we can go ahead and talk about my sweet, precious, darling daughter, Lydia Clarie --- who might, in fact, be the origin of these unwelcome Facial Punctuation changes.

Oh sweet Lydia Claire.
She's a joy. A doll. A precious child.
But trying to talk to her, to parent her, is like talking to a brick wall.
Or maybe a mirror.

I distinctly remember the very first conversation I had about this personality trait.
The year was 2016, and LC was just over a year old.
We had been called by her daycare director - Lydia Claire had bitten a friend a couple of times. During this conversation, the director comforted me - the very embarrassed parent - and told me about how she guided and learned to understand her strong-willed child.

I think this photo is the result of me telling her she couldn't have a popsicle for dinner.
Or that she needed to put on pants before going to talk to our neighbors.
Probably something mean like that.

Strong-willed.
Excellent description for my child.
Unfortunately, it's also an excellent description for me.
But we're learning.
And I'm learning to choose wisely in this battlefield.

Battle Not Fought: baby needed to come on our walk, too.
Total distance covered that morning: 0.2 miles in 30 minutes.

Battle Not Fought: NOTHING matches here! Also, this is not the pose I was going for...

So many battles not fought here.

Battle Not Fought: princess dress/shoes shouldn't be worn out on errands in 1000 degree Alabama heat. 

So much about LC is changing.
In a good way.
She's growing into her personality. And I can like that.
Even if it does give me wrinkles.