jennifer patel

I feel like I've been getting an above average number of calls from people trying to sell me things. I usually do not answer for numbers not attached to a contact but the problem is that I don't often save new contacts and I do not back my phone up to 'the cloud' because my phone says it won't do it and I don't care enough to figure out the reason why or how to make it. I also do not know what a cloud is. Last week, Alex and I were driving home from school. A 972 number popped up and after letting it ring 3 times and questioning whether I knew the number or not, I answered it thinking it could be a doctor or school person. It was not. It was the best cold caller the Texas State Trooper Association had on the job that afternoon. He was an older fella which automatically made my heart soften because seeing old people working makes me sad and uncomfortable. He could have been working by choice to stay busy in his comfortable retirement (and he could have been...

Sara gave me a gift card to lululemon an eternity ago for my birthday. I am notoriously bad about not spending gift cards. I still have stickers in my second grade pencil box that I've been saving for a special occasion... I found the gift card (among many others) and decided to finally spend it. Maybe I procrastinated for 4 years using this specific card because I am intimidated by lululemon. I have only walked in a couple of times in the past only to quickly walk out because I felt I did not belong. I don't like in-store yoga. I don't like fancy, non-slip toe socks. I don't like browsing only to see employees effortlessly rock leggings at every turn. (#thatasstho) I don't like stainless steel water canisters. Actually, that's all a lie. I secretly like all of those things, but I just never saw myself spending hundreds of dollars on True Religion work out clothes. I don't even deserve that kind of work out clothing because my inner thighs rub togethe...

Originally written 1/13/16 I know I horrified some parents today. Alex and I were running errands in Grapevine and since I picked him up early from school before they got to play outside on this beautiful day, I took him to a nearby park. Alex is cautious by nature. While I watched kids run and chase each other back, forth, up, and down, I watched Alex carefully navigate his way through various playground apparatuses.  It took him what seemed like forever to make it up to the tallest slide (complete with hyperventilation breathing...I heard it from the ground), but once he made it down, he went over and over again, proud that he mastered a skill. The park has a zip line. You sit on this round disk with a pole through the middle, hold on and ride down the line. It makes this big banging sound as it slams into the end post, the rider flying past the post with continued forward momentum. Then it swings the rider back the other way and they travel back toward the s...

There's a new force in our house. i like to make scenes with Alex's stuffed animals like they do towels on cruise ships And while I am talking literally about A's discovery of Star Wars (which he discovered through the Star Wars version of Angry Birds...) I'm also talking about an unknown force that has shifted his interests into all things Dad. He loved hanging out with Dad before and they had their hobbies together, but now it's glaringly clear that it's all.about.Dad. "Where is Dad?" "When is Dad coming home?" "Dad is funny. You're sometimes funny." "You don't have to help me with my Legos, Dad will." "Are you leaving and Dad and I are eating together?" And my favorite: the look of absolute disappointment when I show up to pick him up at school instead of Dad. "i learn to measure like Dad!" humoring me with holiday errands For now I'll forget that we share ...