The countdown…

So, I have 7 days until my Civil Procedure final. Surprisingly, I am not nervous. I feel as if I have an understanding of the basics. I just need to continue my practice exams and my outlining exercises and things should work out smoothly. As always I am striving for a 90 or better. However, given that my school is stingy and only seems to give one A per class, I’ll settle for something in the high 80’s. Enough about the law school finals.

Now to the good news! I was accepted into Golden Gate University’s Master of Science – Finance program. What is even more awesome is that Golden Gate has a cyber campus. Cyber campus? It’s an online program. I never have to leave the comfort of my bedroom to attend classes. However, I must take the final exam on campus. Not bad, if you ask me. This type of learning is perfect for single parents. All my single parents (to the beat of Beyonce’s Single Ladies song), a higher education is attainable, even if you feel as if you don’t have the time to attend classes.

I have a new position open for Mr. Wonderful. Requirements: Intelligence, patience, ambition, ability to prioritize, athletic or the ability to run/jog a few miles with me, must have a sense of humor, loves to travel, loves & highly respects his mother and has all the qualities of a “Renaissance Man.” Please send your resume and cover letter to alwayschasingjustice@gmail.com.

Okay, back to chasing justice and Justice.

“I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”

Preparing for law school finals always get me nervous and a little paranoid. I always feel as if I am not going to make it. I feel as if I am going to fail. Good thing I came across this quote from Mr. Cosby. Ole wise man Cosby, how I thank you for these words of wisdom. As long as I am not trying to please everyone, and that includes all my professors, I will be okay. I will succeed at this madness called law school. I often wonder… if finals get me so worked up, how am I going to be when the bar exam rolls around in 2 years. A freakin hot mess!!! I better start looking for someone to hypnotize me now. I need to be as relaxed and as calm as possible for the California Bar Exam. I do not want to take that bad boy twice… thrice… Oh no… I’m already thinking about my failure on a test that is two years away. Mr. Cosby… any other words of advice for me? Damn law school finals… Presumptions… Judicial Notice… Impeachment… Hearsay… Joinder… Character for Truthfulness! Help… I’m lost on this isolated island located between the oceans of Evidence and Civil Procedure.

The Five Modes of Impeachment

Children Pray For the Barney Show.

My way of memorizing the five modes of impeachment. C is for charactor for truthfulness. P is for prior inconsistent statements. F is for felony convictions. B is for bias/capacity. And S is for specific contradictions. Who would have known Barney would have such an impact on my law school studying antics.

Now on to creating a song for the the use of extrinsic evidence. I love you, you love me, extrinsic evidence is where…

Is it Monday already?

I’m in love!

Conrows on a horse?

Whoa! A few of the news articles received in my inbox this Monday morning help to get this woman going. The First Puppy, Bo! He is absolutely adorable. Where can I get one for my family? The Princess, the Prince and Miss Divalicious would fall absolutely in love with this puppy.

Harmony the cornrow-sporting-horse gave me quite a chuckle. She is working those beads too! LMAO! I needed the adorableness of Bo and the absolute madness of Harmony this Monday morning.

This weekend did not last long enough for me us. The kids are still on Spring Break, so they were not as tired as I was this morning. As always, I was running late, but SUPER late this lovely Spring morning. I’ll blame it on the late night trip to Walmart. We spent way too much time cruising the aisles Wally World. A lot of people diss this store, but in this recession, more people should check out Walmart. The prices are low enough for this Recessinista to spend at least $50 with every visit. The food prices are perfect and they have all the snacks my children could ask for, at very reasonable prices.

What store keeps your check book balanced during these economic times? Is your go-to-store recession proof? If not, hit up Walmart! It might be somewhat crowded, but the bucks you’ll save will pay off in the long run.

For the Truth of the Matter

What the heck am I doing spending this beautiful Spring day in a classroom?! We’re on a ten minute break and I thought I would vent a little bit about being away from my children this lovely Saturday morning to attend a Master Review Class for Evidence. I don’t understand why these “master” review classes are held on Saturday. Well, a lot of us work full time and attend classes at night, so I guess it makes sense… Oh know! The Dean is talking again. Back to this discussion of prior consistent statements and the differences between federal law and California law.

Good Friday

Easter Eggs from hostesswiththemostess.com

Easter Dinner Decorations from hostesswiththemostess.com

JC Pennys

Gymboree

JC Pennys

Today is Good Friday. Since I am not very religious, I am not very familiar with the history behind today; however, I know it always comes before Easter Sunday. My family celebrated Passover last night by attending Memorial services at the local Jehovah Witnesses’ Hall. I usually attend services as well, mostly to please my mother. This year an evening Civil Procedure class prevented me from enjoying the smiles of hundreds of Jehovah Witnesses and their families.

My children looked absolutely gorgeous. My two girls in their beautiful pink and cream dresses. The oldest girl in pink dress shoes with a small half an inch heel. Her dimples appear to be somewhat deeper when I give her my approval of the shoes. My baby girl, Miss Divalicious herself, represented with her cream colored dress, pink sweater and cream patent pleather (plastic faking it as leather) shoes. And then my lil Man! He was fly in his Stacy Adams (or as he endearingly calls them, his “meeting shoes”) and his pin striped grey suit with a pink shirt and a pink, grey, yellow, and some other colors, tie. He told me he was “handsum.”

We tend to go all out for Passover or Easter Sunday. We all try our best to look good in the current colors of Spring. Typically these colors range from pink, to yellow, to purple, to blue. As long as it is pale, it’s all good.

What will you and yours be wearing this Easter Sunday (and for my JW’s what did you all wear this past Thursday evening for Passover)?

Have a wonderful Good Friday and a very Happy Easter! And for all of my non-Christians of the world, I hope you enjoy your weekend as well, be it in doors staying dry or outdoors enjoying the April showers! Do you and enjoy life! Happy Friday!!!

Black, Beautiful, Bold and so very Barbie!

Barbie is on my brain and about the only thing I can focus on today.  I am planning a “Hello Summer” party for my kids. Well, Justice will not appreciate the Barbie theme, so it’s mostly for us girls.  I’ll have to add a touch of BOY in there for him.  I am in the designing phase and this is my inspiration board, thus far.  What do you think? 

Black Bold Beautiful Barbies! – by Sui.Generis.Events on Polyvore.com

Back in the day…

 

Andria (pink) and Danielle (black)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back in the day when I was a kid, I’m not a kid anymore! Wow, I cannot believe these pictures have turned up. How innocent I look at 14? I cannot believe that was almost 20 years ago! I feel as if it were yesterday. I see my daughter’s face staring back at me in these photos. Innocence… it’s beautiful and scary. If I knew then what I know now… I probably would not be the wonderful human being I am today. My life experiences, though difficult, have made me a strong and independent SUPERWOMAN!!! The tough times gave me the much needed backbone to sustain law school and my future career as an attorney.

I look back at these photos and wonder where that young girl went. After some thought, I realize she is still here. She’s only a lot wiser, a lot more loving, a lot more giving, and a lot less selfish. She is also about twenty pounds heavier, but we WON’T go there! Back in the day… it was easy for me to get over a break up or loss of a friend without many tears. I was sort of self-centered back then. I only cared about what Danielle wanted. Nothing more or nothing less. Although I was fairly friendly and pretty much got along with most people, I did not care much about emotions. I was into my own emotions but rarely recognized another individual’s emotions. So, I look at these photos and may dream of having those innocent eyes and that slim figure. However, I do not wish to re-live my teenage years or become that egotistical little brat I once was. I like who I am today. I am a caring, loving, respectful, thoughtful, humble and strong woman. I stand up for others as if I am standing up for myself. I am passionate about children and their rights, be it my own children or the children of the world (whom I actually consider my children too).

I have great admiration for thritysomething Danielle.   She may not be a size 4 any more or have the smooth skin of her youth, but I love her and highly respect her.   Love handles and all!

Danielle, Andria & Brenda

The First Black Barbie

Along with Barbie, my mother turns 50 this year. Barbie is huge in my life these days. My eight year old daughter decided she wanted to start collecting something. Thank you Nickelodean! After some thought we both agreed we would enjoy collecting Barbie dolls (and lip gloss – a story for another blog). To add to all the other things on my shoulder, we’ve been looking at www.barbie.com and google and yahoo search for ideas on how to store our collection of Barbie dolls.

During this research, I became interested in learning more about Barbie and when Barbie turned Black (more politically correct, African-American). Well, it started with Colored Francie. Not really Barbie, but close enough. I was surprised to learn “Colored” Francie come around in 1967. That was super early for a doll of any color, let alone the all famous Barbie. Then there was a member of Barbie’s crew… Christie. Still not really Barbie, just Barbie’s homegirl.

Then the 80’s hit. Barbie turned Black before I started school. In 1980, Mattel released the first African-American Barbie doll. So, I am now on the hunt for the first African-American Barbie doll. I’ll have to search eBay and the many, many, many local thrift stores. How dare I add yet another item to my to-do list? If Barbie can turn 50 and still look like a milion bucks, I can find the first African-American barbie doll released in 1980. In the meantime, my daughter and I have decided to purchase any and all Barbie dolls we see that fit our personalities. Wish me luck in my search for the first Black Barbie!

Horribly Dysfunctional

This morning began with me slamming my cell phone, spitting the lyrical sounds of Tupac’s admiration of his mother, on the nightstand for the fifth time.  I failed to get up early enough to study Evidence for an hour before ironing the kiddies’ clothes.   The first sign of dysfunction. 

I have approximately 50 pages pertaining to the competency of a witness left to read and digest and only one lunch break to squeeze it into.  I know you are probably thinking, 50 pages in an hour, that is easy.  Well, please send me your EASY button to push.  That was easy!  Fifty pages of legalese are sort of like reading Latin… wait, it is Latin!   You actually have to read it two or three times to get the true “meaning” behind the words.  Even then, you continue to look at the case from a different prospective.  Law school teaches you to look at one word and create multiple meanings.  

Law school… No, law school plus a LIFE, is simply ridiculous!  However, it is the process future lawyers of America must take.   So they say… I actually think it is a process of elimination.  It actually breeds more non-lawyers of America than then any of us will actually admit. 

Well, back to my morning.   As you can see, like my day, my writing is horribly dysfunctional.   I will try to remain focused and away from the many tangents, my mind seems to take me to. 

I slip down the stairs while running to grab my children’s clothes for the day from the “formal” living room couch.  There is nothing formal about my home.  I use every single square foot.    Then as I am silently oooh and aaaaahhhing, I hear the cries of my twelve month old.  She is up an hour earlier than expected.  Damn it!  I thought I could at least rush through ironing and coffee making, showering, and brushing my teeth to get at least 30 minutes of Evidence reading in.   Law school calls for some resemblance of predictability… Single-motherhood does not.  You cannot predict the behaviors of children until at least adolescence.  Or so I am told!

As I rush to hush the cries of my baby, my Justice wakes up coughing and crying.  His cough is nasty and my heart skips a beat, as I fear another asthma attack, or worse, a bout of pneumonia.    I let the baby cry and go tend to Justice and upon realizing he is whining not because of his cough, but because he is soaking wet, a huge sigh comes from deep inside of me.  I fight the urge to scream at Justice for another set of sheets for me to clean this week.   Another nighttime accident… Well, in this case, early morning accident.  I did check on him at 3 a.m. and he was perfectly dry.   Damn  it!  There goes those 30 minutes I was hoping to use on Evidence. 

I send Justice to my bathroom, grab the baby out her bed, pop my lactating boob in her mouth, turn on the bathtub facet and… Shake my head at the start of a horribly dysfunctional day.