Been at my mom's since last night. B stayed home cuz he had a gig tonight in downtown Manhattan somewhere (I forget where). Yesterday, J and I read together again. I have to keep reminding her that you don't have to stop reading just because the chapter ends. But that's what she's used to (I blame this on school). Anyway, the dance school's owner sent and email about scholarships. Students can get a year's worth of free tuition if they write a 300 word essay on What Dance Means to Me. J was excited and started on hers right away. She wrote a lot and I am trying to stay out of it (even thought it's hard to keep my type-A self out of it). Her writing is very scattered with no "flow" to it. I'm hoping that if she can eventually start to like reading that that will help her understand how writing works. She had intense writing workshops in school and it did nothing for her, so she definitely needs to find her way on her own with this.

Today we all went out fo breakfast and then to the mall. Mom went crazy again, spending about $300 on my kids. She even bought K $75 sneakers. I had a talk with K about taking advantage of her grandmother but she started crying and mom yelled at me. Sigh. W was a royal whining pain today and I was about to lose it when mom said she'd take the kids and I could go into the bookstore for a while (my favorite place!). After an hour I found them again and we went back to mom's house - after a quick stop at the Lego store to buy W some stuff. We're leaving around 11am tomorrow so I can do that singing thing at 2.

I bought myself 2 shirts at Lane Bryant today. It is the first time I have ever shopped there. For a long time I just refused to even set foot in a "large woman's" store, but today I decided to accept that I'm overweight and that these shirts will probably fit a whole lot better than the ones I've been wearing. And they did. I got the smallest size in the store - a 14/16. Acceptance is the first step, right? This week I want to join a gym near me and try to get there at least 3x a week. I have had it. I'm ready to be a new me.