Dakota Arlene....

Dakota at the Halloween store last October...



one of Dakota's first days of Kindergarten




Me, Dakota, and Thai on a Coast adventure



Me and Dakota today... getting ready for work and vacation bible school

This is my boyfriend Thai's little girl. She's six years old and I love her very much.  I'm young and I have never been in a relationship with someone that has had a kid so it was a little scary coming into it. I think I was a little stand offish at first. I had a lot of mixed feelings about dating a guy with a little kid at the beginning of our relationship. I dont want to get attached and fall in love with a child and then have it end and never be able to see her again.  This isn't just one relationship its two. If something were to happen it wouldn't be one break up, it would be two.  A little scary....  Its been over a year now and we are gradually getting closer and closer.  Just in a year its amazing how much a little girl grows up.  

Now there are different worries and feelings....   Does she like me?  Am I to hard on her?  Am I not hard enough?   Her dad doesn't get to see her as much as he would like too.  We get her every other weekend during the summer because Thai works really long hours.  So when we do have her its really hard for Thai to say no to her about anything.  He has a really hard time with discipline... He wants to be the good guy to her Always.. soshe eats what ever she wants when ever she wants, she doesnt use her manners very well, and when she goes back to her moms they have a hard time with her.  Her mom says she's a brat when she comes back from our house.  I hate to hear that!  So I have tried to make it better....  I make sure she has real meals and eats them... I let her have candy and ice cream but its after her meals.  I have really been working on her with her manners around us because I feel its very important to have especially when your a kid.  I can tell Dakota gets annoyed with me or upset and I hope she understands when she's older...  I only do it for her.  If she doesn't learn respect, eating right, and manners now... She's never going to.  It's nice to be her friend and have fun with her and get her nice things but there needs to be parenting also... I just hope I'm doing the right thing because I love her and I want whats best for her!