June 6 1991 a preschooler was asked what she wanted to be when she grew up.  She turned to the camera and said “a mommy”.  I was both proud and horrified.  Others congratulated me on being a great role model. I feared my child would be another teen pregnancy statistic.
22 years later I’m proud to say that that preschooler graduated from Florida Southern College’s education program with a Pre-K/Elementary Ed degree and is a certified teacher.

I’m bragging about her because she has become what she wanted to be, a mommy to approximately 10 little ones who call her “my Rosie”.

Ursula Rose Odom
•    Has been a paid nanny for twins
•    Is highly sought after by members of a multiples group
•    Worked in early child care in a paid capacity since age 16
•    Specialized in early childhood education in high school
•    She is also a highly sought after “god mother”

At her graduation dinner, she demanded that the restaurant accommodate her 7 babies. She then made sure each of them took an individual picture wearing her graduation cap. I believe little things can motivate years later. Who knows, this may be where the drive for education begins.

It's also amazing to hear the depth of her knowledge about little people.
 
Now, Rosie has no problem getting work.  She plans to attend graduate school after working a while and exploring some options.  I would love to see her experience more than we can expose her to. However, it is the children who will receive the best for knowing Rosie.

Other interesting Rosie moments:

•    A high school parent informed me that when Rosie was missing, you could really tell the difference because she took her “sports medicine and coaches assistant role” seriously. One student blamed her for his hurting his ankle because someone else had wrapped it before the game. She was the only little girl allowed to ride on the boys’ football bus to and from games.

•    Rosie again proved that she could handle celebrity life without being seduced by it when she traveled as a Brooks Bunch student with Derrick Brooks and volunteered for several of his high profile golf events.

Rosie’s Mom - Ersula

The first profound thing I saw my daughter Danielle do was fail. It was astonishing what she did after that.

On afternoon, she and Rosie were drawing fruit as an impromptu art exercise. At the end of the day Andria, a visiting favorite adult relative, remarked how nice their creations were.  Even though both were praised, Rosie's was clearly the better of the two. 

Rosie was so happy with the praise, she gave it to her beloved cousin.

Danielle was privately upset. For sometime after that I watched her obsession with practicing her drawings of fruit, eyes, hair, and shading.  So much so, she developed enough to apply and be accepted in an art magnet school. 

Indeed she was accepted in multiple deciplines, music and drama. 

At the same time, she became a certified braider.

You may have the picture by now, the girl excells at anything she sets her mind too.

Others may have talent, but she will out work them and rise like cream in the end.