Category Archives: Children

We’re under attack…

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Hello everybody!  I hope you guys are well.  Yesterday, I woke up coughing my lungs out, nauseated, dizzy as heck, and last with a lovely fever.  With the help of meds, bed rest, and my wonderful husband stepping in and taking care of our daughters, today I woke up just fine.  Just like that, I felt ok.  It was as if yesterday morning never happen, like it was all a dream nightmare.  Needless to say, I’m very happy to be almost well because I hadn’t felt that crappy in a very long time and I wanted it to be over as soon as possible.  Unfortunately, I got a phone call at noon today from my daughter’s school informing me that my daughter had thrown up and wasn’t feeling well.  We’re seriously under attack.  Thirty minutes later, I was tucking my feverish daughter into her bed after washing her up and giving her medicine.  What a couple of sickly days!

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Proof to my husband that my fever went down.

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My favorite cough drops…thanks hubby!

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My landlady/family friend brought a plate of food that she made for us sick people.

White rice, side salad, and chicken.  It was such a wonderful and yummy surprise.  Thanks Georgina!

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After resting, Olivia got inspired by the photo of her mami and daddy on her wall and decided to draw it!

She’s such an artist!  Love her greatly and she’s doing a whole lot better.

So far my husband and my youngest are sick free and I REALLY hope it stays that way.  We’re on the mend and I wish everyone else who’s not feeling well, a speedy recovery and try to sleep as much as you can because it really does make it difference in how you feel one day from another.

Take good care.

Until next time…

Shout out to Parents Magazine February 2013 Issue

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Hello everybody!  I hope you guys are well.  I received my Parents Magazine the other day and I would like to give them a BIG SHOUT OUT and a huge heartfelt hug to every single person who had a say in whom to feature on the cover.  The cover model is 3-year-old Emily Keicher (she was originally supposed to be featured in a column piece) and she has a condition called spina bifida.  I did a double take when I saw the cover for a couple of reasons.  I saw Emily’s beautiful face and then I saw her gold walker.  I’ve never seen that before printed on the cover of a magazine, a child with a disability.  You know that rarely happens.  Then I saw her pretty, pink ruffled skirt, her infectious smile and the pure happiness radiating from her eyes.  She made me smile so big and I thought, “She’s absolutely gorgeous.”  I had to share this with you and the magazine is on newsstands now so pick one up and learn as much as you can about Emily’s life with spina bifida.

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 Parents Magazine I applaud you as well as Emily and her mom, Elizabeth.

Take good care all.

Until next time…

JUDO

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Hello everybody!  I hope you guys are well.  Every Saturday, my husband takes our daughter, Olivia, to judo training.  It’s their special time to bond, exercise, and learn the sport of judo.  She also gets to socialize with other children who have become her friends.  At first, we had an issue with the gi (judo attire) because Olivia wasn’t comfortable in it.  She felt it was too big, but it was her size.  I believe she wasn’t used to the heaviness and texture of the gi, but with time and the realization that everyone else was wearing it, she got used to it.  Nowadays, she can’t wait until it’s time to go to judo.  During their last session, my husband informed me that she did great.  Her best day so far regarding exercising and practicing techniques.  Occasionally, my husband would stop and record or take pictures of her.

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Olivia (in the white gi) maneuvering a way to take down her opponent/friend!

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Success!

Olivia is definitely a brave little girl and I tell her that every single chance that I get.  We encourage her to try new things and we let her know that she can do whatever she wants.  Children love to hear that they did a great job and that they’re the best.  It definitely makes their self-esteem sky-rocket and I want my daughter to know that she can pursue whatever career her heart desires.  I want to instill in her heart and mind that it’s ok to fail, but never give up.  Like in judo, you learn discipline and counter moves that will help you come out the winner.  You also learn how to defend yourself.  I want all these things for my daughter and then some.  Remember everyone, we are our children’s first teachers.

Take good care all.

Until next time…

MATH TEST

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Hello everybody! I hope you guys are well.  A couple of days ago, I opened my daughter’s homework folder to take a look at the papers that she brought home from school and was met with a big, wonderful surprise. Check it out:

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Her teacher wrote down that Olivia scored 100 percent on her math test.  Wow!  I’m still, yes still, having a hard time seeing her off to school, but my daughter, as you can see, is excelling and she tells me without any hesitation that she loves school.  Even when the weather outside is horrendous, she still wants to go and if I even mention staying home from school, she completely balks at the idea.  She says, “No, I want to go to school every day!”  I am amazed and grateful at how much she’s taken with school after feeling so overwhelmed before she even entered.  I will admit that I miss her greatly.  I look at the time and wonder what she’s doing at that particular minute, but I know that I cannot provide her with all the knowledge and social skills that she needs.  Yesterday, her teacher, informed me that Olivia did so well in her spelling test that she advanced to the next level.  That’s concrete proof that she’s doing a great job and I’m very proud of her.  I hope her love for learning continues until she’s a little old lady.

I know it’s perfectly natural to miss her and to be hesitant with sharing her with the world, especially this world today.  I know I worry a lot.  I know I drive myself and everyone else nuts.  I know I should just relax, but I can’t.  It’s who I am.  I’m a mother.

Take good care all.

Until next time…

Birthdays and balloons

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Hello everybody!  I hope you guys are well.  Yesterday was “putting-all-the-Christmas-decorations-away” day!  It made me kinda sad, but they’re be back soon enough!  🙂  Now it’s time to focus on the new year and prepare for all the birthdays that are coming.  I like celebrating birthdays.  When I’m not able to see the person, I love sending birthday cards and gifts in the mail because it makes people HAPPY!  One should feel appreciated and remembered, especially on their special day.

My youngest, Sophia, turns 3 in April and I’m already planning it (I tend to leave things for the last minute and then go completely crazy), but I’m going to keep things very simple (don’t laugh, it can happen).  I haven’t decided on a theme yet, but I know I want to decorate with balloons and I’ve seen a couple of ideas on Pinterest that I want to try.  They also have a couple of games with balloons that would be fun:

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Thread a needle and sew balloons in a row!

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Decorate balloons with paper and glitter!  So much fun!

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Balloon Ping Pong: Sophia loves playing with balloons so this game would be a lot of fun for her.

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Balloon Catch!

All pins courtesy of Pinterest.com.

Take good care all and HAPPY BIRTHDAY if it’s your birthday today!

Until next time…

sophia and the plum

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Hi everybody!  I hope you guys are well.  This post is dedicated to my mom and I would like to share a couple of pictures that I took about three years ago that remind me how much I love and miss her coming over to my house and spending time with us.

My mom used to take the train from her apartment in the Bronx to my apartment in Brooklyn.  It was an hour commute plus 10 – 15 minutes of walking, but she didn’t care.  She was going to see her granddaughters and that meant the world to her.  Then, two and a half years ago, she contracted pneumonia, which developed into a blood infection (sepsis).  She was given 24 hours to live, but my mother battled through and won.  During the fight, her right leg (specifically between her knee and her ankle) became infected.  They were able to save her leg, but she needed two skin grafts and to this day has little mobility in that area.  She is able to get around with the help of crutches, a walker, and a wheelchair, but she’s not able to come to my house alone like she used to.  We do see each other on the weekends.  It’s pretty hard on her to have her mobility taken away, but she counters that emotion with the fact that she’s still able to enjoy life with her family.  We all encourage her to keep moving as much as she can so she can get stronger.  She’s able to do everything she did before except walk freely.  I call her everyday and one of my ultimate goals for the future is to be able to live closer to my parents and my husband’s family as well, so we can all enjoy our lives together.  If you have a good relationship with your mom, appreciate and never take advantage of it.  If you don’t, try to mend it, if you can of course.

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My mother often brought fruits to us when she visited.  On this day particular day she brought plums. Well, little Miss Sophia (7 months at the time) was fascinated with the plum, as you can see.  I love how she’s looking and holding the fruit up in the first picture, but my favorite is the second one.  I even had it made into canvas.  My mother couldn’t stop laughing and Sophia was determined to eat that plum, even if it meant taking it away from Grandma. 🙂

Take good care all.

Until next time…

WISE WORDS APPLICABLE TO ALL

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Hi everybody!  I hope you guys are well.  When I saw this pin (www.pinterest.com), I immediately saved it and thought to myself, “I have to frame this for my home so everyone can see it.”

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I’m always telling/teaching my daughters that they should appreciate all that they have.  My parents provided me with a home, clothes, food, and unconditional love.  I never had a problem understanding boundaries and consequences.  I knew exactly what would happen if I did something wrong so I just didn’t do it.  For me, it was just that simple.  I also knew that if I needed something it would be provided by my parents, but I never took advantage of that or them.  I even went to a reasonably priced (since my parents were paying the tuition), nearby college (Lehman College in Bronx, NY) so I could commute without having to pay for room and board.  I didn’t want to give my parents a college debt, especially since I really didn’t want to go, but I knew it was in my best interest.  I can only hope that my daughters grow up with the same mentality with the exception of genuinely wanting to go to school and surpassing their own expectations.

Take good care all.

Until next time…

and the resolutions have begun

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Hello everybody!  I hope you guys are well.  Happy New Year!  Well, it’s out with the old and in with the new.  Time to start making those resolutions, if you’re into that, and trying really hard not to break them, at least for the first week!  When I was younger, I really didn’t care much for resolutions, but as I got older I started jotting some things down and then it became a full-blown resolution list.  Last year’s resolutions didn’t go so well.  With the exception of a couple of them, the others are being placed again on this year’s list and I have to let fear fall at the waist side and accomplish what I want in my life.  No more excuses!

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams!  Live the life you’ve imagined.  – Thoreau

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I decided to take pictures before my daughter went to sleep.  The youngest was sleeping already.  They’re not used to staying up so late so the new year’s festivities will have to wait until they’re much older.

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Olivia gave me a couple of silly faces, which I loved.

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My husband took a picture of my youngest the next day, photoshopped her into the above picture and using a green screen app he put us in the middle of Times Square.  Funny, huh?

Take good care all and if you start a resolution list I wish you good luck.  May this year be a very good one.

Until next time…

A pin for me

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Hello everybody!  I hope you guys are well.

Loving and striving to do exactly what this pin (www.pinterest.com) says.  Some days are hard, but ultimately I want no bitter memories.  I do need a ton of patience (it’s a characteristic lacking in my family genes) and I wish to banish the hasty replies.  Those darn hasty replies get on my nerves and they come out because I have no patience to stop and think before I speak.  For my children’s sake and our future relationship, I will dutifully work on being a better mom.

Take good care all.

Until next time…

Get well soon

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Hello everybody!  I hope you guys are well.  This post is dedicated to my 6-year-old god-daughter, Brianna, who had her tonsils removed yesterday.  Poor thing was scheduled for surgery in the morning and wasn’t allowed to eat anything after nine o’ clock the night before.  At 2:30 pm (surgery day), I sent a text to her mom asking how the surgery went.  Her mom, Lisa (my cousin in law), replied back saying that they were still waiting to go into surgery and that Brianna was starving and not very happy!  Heck, I would be too!  Finally at 4 pm, yes 4, she went in and everything went well.  I heard there was a lot of crying afterwards, a lot of crying.  Poor baby!  Hopefully, she’s enjoying all that ice cream and jello she’s entitled to eat for now.  Brianna, you’re a trooper and I hope you GET WELL SOON!

I found the picture above on www.pinterest.com and thought, “Is this real?  A Little Golden Book with the subject of tonsils.  That’s amazing!”  I wish I could send something like this to Brianna, but then again I wouldn’t want to remind her of the pain her little 6-year-old self is enduring so instead I’m mailing her some coloring pages with her favorite characters such as Minnie Mouse that I printed out.  Hopefully, it’ll somewhat brighten her day.

Take good care all.

Until next time…