Category Archives: NYC

Lini’s Treats Cakes and Sweets

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Hello everybody!

I hope you guys are well.

I wanted to share Lini’s Treats with you, especially with local readers (Brooklyn) or bloggers.  I was gifted some DELICIOUS cupcakes by Dominican cake specialist Arlene Morel.  She’s one of my neighbors and if you check out her Facebook page (Lini’s Treats), you can definitely see that she’s very talented.  You can also email her at linistreats@gmail.com.

Here’s what I got:

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My daughter and I ate the pecan one and it was so delicious.  Seriously, I had to put them away for fear of eating every single one.  Must control myself!!  So, if you need any sweets, check out Lini’s Treats.  Let’s support our neighbors, especially when they’re good at what they do.  Thanks Arlene!

Take good care all.

Until next time…

I’m not mad at you snow…

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Hello everybody!

I hope you guys are well.

A snowy day can make you second guess whether or not you should take your child to school (in my area the school is ALWAYS open) or keep her at home (she doesn’t want to stay home, she wants to go to school),

a snowy day can make going to school on foot a little bit harder and wetter,

a snowy day can be majestic until you realize you have to shovel the walkway,

but that’s ok with me because after reaching the school safely and shoveling the snow, this is my reward:

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Pure joy captured: my youngest tasting the snow and giggling away as the snow tickled her face

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She even helped me shovel the sidewalk until…

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…she attacked me with huge snowballs! 🙂

I’m not mad at you snow ’cause you made my little one very happy.

Take good care all.

Until next time…

Proof is in the grade!

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Hello everybody!

I hope you guys are well.

Happy belated Veterans Day (THANK YOU to all veterans and those currently serving) and my thoughts are with the people in the Philippines and their worried friends and family throughout the world.  May help arrive as soon as possible and heal those in need.  May the people who lost their lives rest in peace.

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So, I’ve been wondering whether or not I did the correct thing in asking for my daughter to be placed in another first grade class with a new teacher.  I got the answer this past Friday when my daughter’s teacher wanted a word with me regarding speech therapy for Olivia.  I told her that we tried to get her therapy last year while she was in Kindergarten, but due to her above average grades, they felt that she didn’t need the therapy.  Olivia’s new teacher balked at that.  We are starting the process once again in order to give my daughter the help she needs because this year it’s affecting her spelling, writing, and communicating skills.  There are certain letter sounds in which Olivia has a hard time pronouncing so if she’s writing a word that includes these sounds, she spells the word wrong.  At home we do practice with her enunciating certain words and letter sounds, but she still needs a therapist.  Within a week, her new teacher picked up on this and that’s why I’m loving her.  Also, my daughter was given her first spelling test with the words of the week, which we studied for by writing them over every day, looking at homemade flash cards, and making sentences for each word.  She scored a:

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The proof is in the grade.

I did the right thing and the added bonus is a teacher who’s going to battle for my daughter to get the services that she rightfully deserves.  Last year, Olivia’s Kindergarten teacher mentioned that there was some issues regarding her speech, so we started the process of requesting speech therapy for her.  It was completely drawn out.  My husband and I scheduled and attended meetings, I wrote many letters and finally (many months later) my husband took Olivia to be evaluated, per an appointment made by the Board of Education.  This evaluation proved that Olivia was not struggling in school.  They concluded that she was above average, but that’s not what we asked for.  She can’t say certain letter sounds, but because she was achieving superb grades in Kindergarten, they decided that she would grow out of it.  That was their conclusion.  Obviously they were wrong, because it’s starting to affect her now in the 1st grade and if not dealt with, it might get worse, but I’m not going to let that happen.  No matter how many letters I have to write or meetings I have to attend, my child will get the assistance that she needs.

I’m her advocate.

I’m her mom.

Take good care all.

Until next time…

Dads Take Your Child To School Day

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Hello everybody!

I hope you guys are well.

Today was a special day at my daughter’s school.  It was their annual “Dads Take Your Child To School Day” (A project of the NYS Office of Children and Family Services and NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance).  It’s special in my household because I’m normally the one that takes my daughter to school while my husband goes to work early, but today Olivia got to walk hand in hand with her daddy all the way to school.  Just them, and the smile on her face as I waved goodbye from my window was priceless.  It’s very important for children to have a male figure they can count on in their lives.  The flier that was sent home with my child inviting dads to this event also stated that “If dads are unavailable to attend the event, invite grandfathers, foster fathers, step-fathers, uncles, cousins, big brothers, significant male caregivers or male friends of the family.”

I applaud this project and their efforts to promote awareness that everyone in the family plays a very important part in a child’s life.  My husband absolutely loved taking part in this event because he’s a devoted father and he’s always curious to see how things run, especially his child’s school.  He was able to see Olivia in her class first hand and she was able to introduce him to her classmates.  It was a win, win situation that’s worth it in the long run.

Start building a great relationship with your child and their school today.

Take good care all.

Until next time…

Celebrating the one you love

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Hello everybody!

I hope you guys are well.

My husband celebrated his 37th birthday last week.  We decided to spend the day at the New York Aquarium as well as the kiddie rides in Coney Island.  The aquarium is currently under construction, due to Hurricane Sandy, so many of their exhibits were closed, but we were able to see the seals perform.  They were magnificent!

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We finished our Coney Island adventure/birthday celebration by taking a quick walk on the beach.  My husband and I gazed at the cruise ships as they sailed away, while the girls played with the sand and filled up their shoes with it!  🙂

We got home late and I was so happy that we had given the birthday boy his card and gifts early on in the morning.  I want to share with you the words that I wrote to this extraordinary man in his birthday card.  Why?  Because I want to celebrate the one that I love.  I do believe that I hit the jackpot and I’m not going to apologize if you think that I’m bragging because finding a companion that truly accepts you and takes everything into consideration is hard.  He is by no means perfect, but he has so many qualities that many men lack or simply don’t want to share with their significant others.  We say, “please” and “thank you” to each other.  These simple words can mean the world.  He says to me, “Thank you for taking care of our children,” and that fills my heart, soul, and mind with calmness.  I feel appreciated.  I say to him, “Thank you for working hard to support our family,” and that shows him that I value him going out into the tumultuous world and sacrificing time with his family in order to give us what we need to survive.  We NEVER curse at each other because we RESPECT one another.  I’m not saying that I don’t curse because I do and so does he.  If I stub my toe, oh yes, the shit word will be flying out of my mouth, but if we happen to have a disagreement, curse words don’t help.  They make things worse and the respect card gets thrown out the window.  It’s as simple as that.  Plus, it helps that we genuinely love each other so there you go.  I wholeheartedly believe that friendship before a relationship is a great foundation for an everlasting union.  Just think about it, there are many people who are friends for life.  So, why not incorporate that with the one that you love?

To, Angel

Love, Angie

“Thank you for loving me and taking good care of our family.  You are the greatest example by far of what a real man should strive to become:  A loving husband who understands and respects his wife and a proud, doting father, who’s also hands on, and loves his children to pieces.  Thank you for your commitment and your strength.  I hope all your wishes come true because YOU deserve it.”

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Celebrate the one you love!

Take good care all.

Until next time…

Back to school!

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Hello everybody!

I hope you guys are well.

Today was the first day of school for my oldest daughter, Olivia.  She started the 1st grade and I will admit that my nerves were acting up, but I didn’t let them get the best of me.  Olivia on the other hand, was as cool as a cucumber so I hushed my neurotic side down because I wanted her to stay that way.  We got into the groove with our school routine.  Brush your teeth, eat breakfast, uniform on, hair done, backpack, and out the door.  Once we arrived at school, of course, things were chaotic, but manageable.  My husband and I were able to dodge and weave our way over to Olivia’s new teacher where we introduced ourselves.  She was very happy to see us both there with Olivia.  We said our “see you laters” and off Olivia went to sit with her new class.  I waved goodbye a couple of times and watched her from afar as she chatted up kids and showed them her summer collage.  I left with a small pang in my heart, but I was more calmer than last year leaving her in school because I could tell that Olivia was comfortable.  Here’s hoping that she has a great school year.

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Students were instructed to put together a summer collage and bring it to school on the first day.  I glued all the pictures and had Olivia write a small description of the things that she did and the places she visited during the summer.

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Good luck my 1st grader!

Take good care all!

Until next time…

Celebrating 20 years together!

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Hello everybody!

I hope you guys are well.

I haven’t posted anything for a while because well, I’m blocked.  My brain hasn’t been able to produce any new words or ideas.  It’s so frustrating and when I try to create something new, there’s two little, beautiful girls screaming their heads off right behind me so needless to say, I can’t concentrate on my writing.  In my house there’s no room where I can lock myself in and write, with the exception of the bathroom, but they still find me in there and literally sit outside the door and wait for me to come out.  Precious, I know.

Anyway, a milestone was celebrated yesterday and I wanted to share it with you.  My husband and I still celebrate our dating anniversary.  We don’t do gifts, just basked in the day, each other, and the knowledge of how long we’ve been together.  20 years ago, my husband came over to my parents house and presented me with a red rose.  The previous day, over the phone, he had asked me to go out with him and I had replied yes.  We decided to make the fourth of August our anniversary because it was the day when we saw each other and the rose sealed our commitment as newly boyfriend and girlfriend.  Yesterday, we spent the mid-morning into early afternoon at the beach, on a beautiful day, celebrating with our two little girls.

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Don’t you just love the way I shield my bathing suit body with my daughters.  🙂  Works every time!

We like going to the beaches at Far Rockaway, specifically Beach 59.  We’ve never had a problem there and afterwards we decided that a good pizza pie was in order.  We finished the day at home relaxing.

I hope to celebrate many more years with my high school sweetheart and I hope I can inspire you all to simply LOVE.

Take good care all.

Until next time…

Think Breakfast

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Hello everybody!

I hope you guys are well.

Yesterday was my daughter’s last day as a Kindergartener!  It’s definitely amazing how I can feel as if time flew on by, but at the same time the jitters and anxiety over the first day of school are still fresh in my mind.  Like they say, “it was just yesterday…”, and that’s how I’m feeling.  With time, the unknown (school/Kindergarten) became familiar, but now we’re full circle and back to the unknown (1st grade).  I say unknown because I have absolutely no recollection of my time in the early years of school and this is my first kid entering the school system, so there you go.  Now, I can only hope that some of her new friends are placed in her new class and she’s given a great teacher like the one she had before, whom by the way I want to thank once again for writing a lovely message in my daughter’s Dr. Seuss “Oh, the places you’ll go! ” book.  Her message made me cry because it was so nice of her and I couldn’t wait to show it to Olivia.  I did debate on whether or not to keep the book and its messages a secret for a great surprise in the future, but then I don’t think the memory of each teacher would be fresh.  At the end of every school year I’m going to do my best to get a personal message from each teacher written in that book just for Olivia.  It’s a great idea and I knew once I heard about it that I was going to do it.  I’m very happy that I did.

Changing subjects and making the title of this post relevant, I wanted to share with you a great program that was introduced to my daughter at school.  It brings awareness to eating a healthy breakfast.  There’s even a song and dance called “Think Breakfast,” which Olivia performed with her class at her school during their annual festival dance.  She also received a water bottle and a pedometer (promoting hydration and exercise).  The pedometer was a hit with Olivia.  It simply fascinated her that this little gizmo could count her steps.  Of course, she put it to the test by walking around our apartment and stopping every so often to see the latest number.

Olivia: What number is this?

Me: Two hundred and fifty-eight

Olivia: Whaaaat?  That’s a really big number.

Me:  It sure is.  You’re walking a lot.

Olivia: I want to walk until it says 1 mile.  What number is that?

Me: Ten thousand, one, zero, zero, zero, zero.

Olivia: Whaaaat?

🙂

Check out the website for recipes, videos, activity pages, and games.  I had both girls watching the video, learning the dance steps and singing the song.  A funny and wonderful memory just for me.

http://www.thinkbreakfast.com/

Take good care all.

Until next time…

Many thanks

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Many thanks

Thank you for being Olivia’s first school teacher.                                                           

Thank you for being so kind.                        

Thank you for noticing her struggles and fighting for her rights.                                  

Thank you for teaching her the tapping method, which she loves to utilize.                                              

Thank you for the smile that appears on her face when she’s read

something at her own pace.                                                             

Thank you for teaching her songs that she loves to sing.                                                            

Thank you for being a great teacher.          

 Thank you for everything!

– Angelica Mercado

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Hello everybody!

I hope you guys are well.

There is officially two more days of school here in Brooklyn and I’m sending my daughter up to the last day for two reasons.  I want her to finish her Kindergarten year like a pro and I want her to enjoy the central air conditioning the school has to offer because it’s freaking hot (93 degrees to be exact)!  I’m also sending my daughter with a thank you card filled with graduation pictures and those words above.  I wrote them for her teacher who is a great person and I’m so glad that my daughter was able to begin her education with a smart and kind woman.  She will never be forgotten and she will always be her first teacher.  Thank you Mrs. Licata!

Take good care all.

Until next time…

My Kindergarten Graduate!

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Hello everybody!

I hope you guys are well.

Another day, another milestone has come and gone.  My darling daughter, Olivia, graduated from Kindergarten today.  It was pretty exciting and the ceremony was kept short, sweet and simple.  Her school decided on breaking things into sessions, which is great because kids (and some adults) can get antsy when things take too long.  At my daughter’s ceremony/session, there were 3 graduating classes.  Their names were read by their teachers and each class sang an inspiring song afterwards.  When they were done, we all filed outside and my daughter was given her diploma by her teacher.  Lots of pictures were taken and off we went home.  It wasn’t drawn out and I didn’t even cry one tear, which is very surprising!  The sun was shining and my heart is contempt with knowing that my child had a wonderful start with her education, had a kind teacher, and made new friends.  I can only hope that things run as smoothly as they did for the following school year.

A special thanks to Mrs. Licata!  You will always be her first teacher and she absolutely loves you!

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1st grade, here I come!

Congratulations Olivia!

Take good care all.

Until next time…