I Asked Her What We Should Do For Our Christmas Card Photo. This Is What She Came Up With.

It's Go Time

Hi.

It's go time, y'all. It's time to cut off the Wish List and make all of the final purchases so that toys can be delivered to Center for Victims in time for Christmas.

You've done an amazing job, as always. As of right now, the total sits at $4280.00. There are a few little things that are coming together in the next couple of days, so that total will go up.

But.

But, I want it to go up more than I know it's going to.

Here's the thing. Every year that we have taken care of Center for Victims (formerly Womansplace, Inc.), we've done an excellent job of it. On top of that, we have also done a lot to make sure at least one other shelter is able to provide a merry Christmas to its children. Every year, I have taken the last minute money and any "excess" and traded it for gift cards which are sent to other shelters in the greater Pittsburgh area. We haven't quite reached the point where we can do that this year, but I want to. Like crazy.

These are shelters that are not well-funded. They are shelters that can't take advantage of programs like Toys for Tots. The first is Alle-Kiski Area HOPE Center. It's a relatively small shelter, but it makes a huge difference to the people it serves.

So.

Last chance to grab something off of the Wish List. It will close at the end of December 13th.

And last change to throw your $5 into the pot. That's all it takes to make a difference ... just a few dollars.

Thanks for being amazing, as always.

The Opinions Are Strong With This One

I forever find it interesting that Alexis has very strong opinions about so many things. She can't be convinced that glitter is annoying, she is going to love cheerleading no matter what I say, and her awful taste in music is a point of pride for her.

She likes terrible pop music. She always has.

Her first favorite song that she sang CONSTANTLY when she was just one-year old was "Sexy Back" by Justin Timberlake. Seriously. It was a slightly awkward favorite song because go ahead. Try and explain to a stranger why your toddler is toddling through Target singing "I'm bringing sexy back. Them other boys don't know how to act ..."

You can't explain it, now can you?

Neither could I, except for the fact that it's not my fault the kid was born to listen to bad pop. IT JUST IS. Don't bother trying to tell me I could have done a better job of guiding her musical choices by exposing her to other things because NUH-UH. She knew what she liked and that was all there was to it.

That continues to this day.

All on her own, the kid has a strong disdain for country music. Now, I REALLY don't like country either, but because she is hilarious in her hatred, I will turn a song on just so I can wait 2.1 seconds for her to flip out. "MOM, CHANGE THE RADIO STATION NOOOOOOOOW," she'll yell. She will also tell me that the song is awful, shouldn't be considered music, and all sorts of other hilarity.

Another funny thing about Alexis' disdain for country is that ten seconds after she complains about that Nelly song "Florida Georgia Line," she'll tell you that she loves *all* kinds of music. "I love pop and rock and every kind of music!" she will say.

She's a liar.

But not just because of the country.

She also doesn't like rap/hip-hop. I've tried playing some classic Outkast, Eminem, all sorts of things. Some current, some old school, a little of this and that. She does NOT like it. Ever.

But she says she does.

So tonight when she started asking when she can take a hip-hop dance class, I returned fire by saying, "Why would you want to take a hip-hop class when you don't like hip-hop music?" I know it's a shady retort, but all's fair in love and fighting with 7-year olds.

"I *LOVE* hip-hop music, MOM," she replied.

"Sing one hip-hop song. I bet you don't even know one," I said.

You guys, she broke into the rap from the middle of Justin Bieber's Girlfriend.

At least I have more street cred than SOMEONE on this planet.