My parents caled me and asked me if I would coonsider going with the kids to visit them, in PR! They told me they would pay for the trip! (And people actually question why I always say I would pay all their bills and renovate their home!) Since two of the boys will be going to Florida with their Dad and Grandmother, I will be taking The Little One, The Diva, The Princess and the Chatterbox.
I'm so excited. I haven't been to PR since 1985! Much has changed since then. My children have never seen their great grandmother, aunts, uncles or cousins. I bought a small carry on suitcase with wheels because I don't want to prolong the airport wait by having to check luggage on and off. I hope The Little One doesn't have a meltdown. I think I will start praying immediately....
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If you're looking for Orlando Luxury Real Estate, you might want to look at this site. They're a unique exclusive buyer agency office. Buyers Broker of Florida only represents the best interest of the homebuyer, never the seller. Research your choices and see for yourself...
Friday, July 28, 2006
Sometimes It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better...
Yesterday was interesting. I woke up, looked at Little One's leg in a splint and remembered the previous day's drama. Great! I had to call the bus, the school, his pediatrician, and whole other bunch of people about this new development! As if that wan't enough, I tripped in my room, banged my foot against the foot board and broke my little toe. Now I have to carry The Little One and limp too! My mother called me JOB!
Stop The Ride SO I CAN GET OFF! Things are becoming more strained here with Sleepy and my relationship with his dad. Things are not looking good. Look the way i see it, i have enough on my plate. My physical health is not the greatest and I have plenty of issues surrounding the Little One's condition and my other kids to have to deal with all this other unnecessary drama. Why didn't I listen to my mother? I know this is how Brittany Spears feels. What the?????????
On another note, the debt reduction experiment is going well. I have added this new site that many of you will like. I have compiled a list with tutorials, of all the sites that you can use to make money. All the sites are free to use and al the information I have compiled is free as well. Visit, take a look and see how easy it is to MAKE MONEY ONLINE !!!!!
After I finish paying off the debt, I am going to try investing. I've been researching different sites. I'll keep you posted.
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There is a site has a complete guide of educational materials for anyone that is considering investing in stocks. They even offer premium toll-free customer support. PowerOptions provides crucial information you need to invest with stock options. They have a patented SmartSearchXL® technology that is not available anywhere else. It's the best way to find, compare, analyze, and make money on stock options trading. I'll will be using this site for reference in this new venture...
Stop The Ride SO I CAN GET OFF! Things are becoming more strained here with Sleepy and my relationship with his dad. Things are not looking good. Look the way i see it, i have enough on my plate. My physical health is not the greatest and I have plenty of issues surrounding the Little One's condition and my other kids to have to deal with all this other unnecessary drama. Why didn't I listen to my mother? I know this is how Brittany Spears feels. What the?????????
On another note, the debt reduction experiment is going well. I have added this new site that many of you will like. I have compiled a list with tutorials, of all the sites that you can use to make money. All the sites are free to use and al the information I have compiled is free as well. Visit, take a look and see how easy it is to MAKE MONEY ONLINE !!!!!
After I finish paying off the debt, I am going to try investing. I've been researching different sites. I'll keep you posted.
*****************
There is a site has a complete guide of educational materials for anyone that is considering investing in stocks. They even offer premium toll-free customer support. PowerOptions provides crucial information you need to invest with stock options. They have a patented SmartSearchXL® technology that is not available anywhere else. It's the best way to find, compare, analyze, and make money on stock options trading. I'll will be using this site for reference in this new venture...
Thursday, July 27, 2006
The Fountain
Yesterday, my ex-mother-in-law picked up 4 of the kids and was going to take them to an ice cream place that has batting cages and a miniature golf course for kids. The course is fenced in. It doesn't have any complicated tunnels, ramps or plays. It's basically a fenced in area with little paths and holes for the different rounds. On the left side of the area, they have a little plastic pond with a water pump that creates a little fountain cascade. The Little One wanted to go there, but I wanted him to stay by my side. My ex-mother-in-law kept insisting we go sit inside the FENCED in area and let him frolic about with The Princess. I tend to be very overprotective and overly cautious with him. Would you blame me after all I've been through?
As we walked in, he ran ahead of us. Right towards the pond. I called him and told him to stop. He didn't. He jumped right into it before I could get to him. Then I saw the look of shock and pain. He started screaming. I picked him up and the murky water dripped off his clothing and all over me. He kept both of his legs folded. I carried him to the picnic table as he continued to scream. He wouldn't stretch out his leg. I went inside, informed the staff and asked them to call an ambulance.
About 50 mintues later, an ambulance arrived and he was taken to the hospital. There he had xrays and the PA said he didn't see any fractures. Thank God! We're not clear yet. He refuses to walk on it and it is really swollen. Now I have to take him to his pediatrician today and perhaps have an MRI done. He may have damaged a ligament. Thrilling.... I called his father this morning, to tell him what happened. This man that hasn't raised any of his 3 sons has the audacity to question me!!!! My life revolves around my children. I never do anything without them, never get a break and I am raising two of his! One of which is not biologically mine! Do you still wonder why I am thinking long and hard every time I look at the diamond ring?
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Looking to purchase a diamond engagement ring? Don't pay retail prices! Here's a web release by a company you might want to try. Read about this famous diamond....
Ever heard of Tavernier? He was torn apart by wild dogs in Russia. Some say its because he sought out and stole the Blue Hope Diamond from the forehead of a Hindu Statue in India. According to legend, anyone that stole or touched the diamond would be cursed. Whether the legend was true or not, we may never know. The Blue Hope diamond was later owned by King Louis XIV, stolen during the French Revolution, sold to earn money for gambling, worn to raise money for charity, and then finally donated to the Smithsonian Institution. Who donated that diamond? Harry Winston, donated the diamond in 1958 after he bought it in 1949. Some say it was to escape the curse.
As we walked in, he ran ahead of us. Right towards the pond. I called him and told him to stop. He didn't. He jumped right into it before I could get to him. Then I saw the look of shock and pain. He started screaming. I picked him up and the murky water dripped off his clothing and all over me. He kept both of his legs folded. I carried him to the picnic table as he continued to scream. He wouldn't stretch out his leg. I went inside, informed the staff and asked them to call an ambulance.
About 50 mintues later, an ambulance arrived and he was taken to the hospital. There he had xrays and the PA said he didn't see any fractures. Thank God! We're not clear yet. He refuses to walk on it and it is really swollen. Now I have to take him to his pediatrician today and perhaps have an MRI done. He may have damaged a ligament. Thrilling.... I called his father this morning, to tell him what happened. This man that hasn't raised any of his 3 sons has the audacity to question me!!!! My life revolves around my children. I never do anything without them, never get a break and I am raising two of his! One of which is not biologically mine! Do you still wonder why I am thinking long and hard every time I look at the diamond ring?
***************************
Looking to purchase a diamond engagement ring? Don't pay retail prices! Here's a web release by a company you might want to try. Read about this famous diamond....
Ever heard of Tavernier? He was torn apart by wild dogs in Russia. Some say its because he sought out and stole the Blue Hope Diamond from the forehead of a Hindu Statue in India. According to legend, anyone that stole or touched the diamond would be cursed. Whether the legend was true or not, we may never know. The Blue Hope diamond was later owned by King Louis XIV, stolen during the French Revolution, sold to earn money for gambling, worn to raise money for charity, and then finally donated to the Smithsonian Institution. Who donated that diamond? Harry Winston, donated the diamond in 1958 after he bought it in 1949. Some say it was to escape the curse.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY!
On Thursday afternoon, one of my worst fears was realized. I have been having nightmares that this would happen and now it has. I picked up the kids from summer school and arrived at the house at about 1:30pm. I couldn't go down my driveway. My garbage cans were thrown about and one huge black garbage can had been dragged out and left right on the middle of the driveway. It had several slashes going across the width of the bag. My heart sank and my stomach turned. I had left Sleepy Dwarf and The Entrepreneur at home. I looked about nervosuly and was frozen behind the wheel. I was audibly going through the possiblities, but I knew. As I stepped out of the minivan, the neighbor peered over his fence and said " A BEAR was just knocking over your garbage cans and then he walked over the hill and back into the bushes....where he came from."
Ok, I am a city girl at heart. the only place I ever want to see a bear of any kind...grizzly, black or polar....is behind a thick glass or with a several mile ditch separating us. In other words, I only want to see these type of large animals at the Bronx Zoo or Central Park! Now I had to brainstorm. What do I do with the large amount of garbage that accumulates? This is a large family. The garbage gets picked up once a week. The only thing I can think of is to keep them in the garage, with the doors closed..until Thursday when we put them up.
I hope Yogi doesn't come back to visit anytime soon...
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Orlando is the city that gives you so much to do. At my stay in the lovely city, I enjoyed theme parks by day and night clubs by night. A clean beatifully kept city, where you are greeted with a hello and a smile. A great change from NYC's grind, an Orlando Vacation Rental is the perfect escape for you and your family. You deserve a break, take it in Orlando!
Ok, I am a city girl at heart. the only place I ever want to see a bear of any kind...grizzly, black or polar....is behind a thick glass or with a several mile ditch separating us. In other words, I only want to see these type of large animals at the Bronx Zoo or Central Park! Now I had to brainstorm. What do I do with the large amount of garbage that accumulates? This is a large family. The garbage gets picked up once a week. The only thing I can think of is to keep them in the garage, with the doors closed..until Thursday when we put them up.
I hope Yogi doesn't come back to visit anytime soon...
********
Orlando is the city that gives you so much to do. At my stay in the lovely city, I enjoyed theme parks by day and night clubs by night. A clean beatifully kept city, where you are greeted with a hello and a smile. A great change from NYC's grind, an Orlando Vacation Rental is the perfect escape for you and your family. You deserve a break, take it in Orlando!
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Our Visit to Manhattan
We hadn't been to the city for some time. I went to the Bronx not too long ago. We did go to see The Barnum and Bailey Circus and Barney, but we didn't really take time to walk around and take in the sights. I love to watch people and The Little One has inherited that from me. He loved the city. He was all smiles and was astinished at the swarms of people. We stood right in front of the jumbo TV at Times Square and I said, "LOOK, that's from Shark Tales. That's where Oscar was."
We went to Virgin Records where he ran from floor to floor. He loves music and he danced around a lot. Virgin Records has a DJ on staff. He also loves escalators and so we went up and down to all the floors. Next, we went to the huge Toys R' Us. They have a Jurassic Park dinosaur that roars. It is very life like. It was so real to the Little One that he became very afraid and yelled, "Help Me!" while desperately tried to pull us away from the vicinity.
His father then took us to the movies. I was upset. The movie was not age appropriate. I can never win with that man. Let me tell you what The Little One did. I was standing by the automated ticket sales machine. It looks like an ATM machine and the movie titles scroll down the screen. Well, The Little One is stuck on the previews for "Lady in the Water" and "Monster House". He says he wants to see both. Of course, his dad is going to take him against my wishes. Anyway, he saw the title as it scrolled down the screen and he started yelling, "I go, Lady in the Water". He read the title from the screen! He's too much.
So after that we walked back to the minivan. All those feelings I always had about Manhattan came back. I was sad to be leaving and I wished I could live there, but who am I fooling? The therapy my son gets here is excellent. The kids are not used to all those people and they have no survival instincts. They are innocent and naive...and I like that. Even if I sold this house, which I just found out today has shyrocketed in value. (The houses I looked at online that have 2 bedrooms and 1 acre less of land than this one are going for ....$599,000). I still couldn't afford to live there. I can still dream, may be one day when the kids are grown...
******
After looking at a web release about real estate, I decided to check the price of the homes being sold in my community. That's when I realized how real estate has skyrocketed in the past two years! There are still affordable places to live in the US. Aurora is a city in Illinois. Aurora real estate consists of condominiums, townhomes, single family homes and more. The detached housing which includes condos and townhomes range from $52,000 to $578,000. In my community, you can't even buy a piece of land for $52,000! Anyway, if you're in Illios and are house hunting, take a look at Schaumburg Real Estate. You might be surprised to find something affordable that you like...
We went to Virgin Records where he ran from floor to floor. He loves music and he danced around a lot. Virgin Records has a DJ on staff. He also loves escalators and so we went up and down to all the floors. Next, we went to the huge Toys R' Us. They have a Jurassic Park dinosaur that roars. It is very life like. It was so real to the Little One that he became very afraid and yelled, "Help Me!" while desperately tried to pull us away from the vicinity.
His father then took us to the movies. I was upset. The movie was not age appropriate. I can never win with that man. Let me tell you what The Little One did. I was standing by the automated ticket sales machine. It looks like an ATM machine and the movie titles scroll down the screen. Well, The Little One is stuck on the previews for "Lady in the Water" and "Monster House". He says he wants to see both. Of course, his dad is going to take him against my wishes. Anyway, he saw the title as it scrolled down the screen and he started yelling, "I go, Lady in the Water". He read the title from the screen! He's too much.
So after that we walked back to the minivan. All those feelings I always had about Manhattan came back. I was sad to be leaving and I wished I could live there, but who am I fooling? The therapy my son gets here is excellent. The kids are not used to all those people and they have no survival instincts. They are innocent and naive...and I like that. Even if I sold this house, which I just found out today has shyrocketed in value. (The houses I looked at online that have 2 bedrooms and 1 acre less of land than this one are going for ....$599,000). I still couldn't afford to live there. I can still dream, may be one day when the kids are grown...
******
After looking at a web release about real estate, I decided to check the price of the homes being sold in my community. That's when I realized how real estate has skyrocketed in the past two years! There are still affordable places to live in the US. Aurora is a city in Illinois. Aurora real estate consists of condominiums, townhomes, single family homes and more. The detached housing which includes condos and townhomes range from $52,000 to $578,000. In my community, you can't even buy a piece of land for $52,000! Anyway, if you're in Illios and are house hunting, take a look at Schaumburg Real Estate. You might be surprised to find something affordable that you like...
Some Celebrities are so Bizarre!
There are celebrities that are extremely bizarre. Michael Jackson is not the only weirdo you know. There's also Dennis Rodman, who married himself. Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro's wedding invitations were photos of them together...at the morgue. Get it?!?! Til Death Do Us Part!!! Oh, and I heard today that they split up... So much for that promise.
Well, here's another one. Elton John, you know the "Circle of Life" and all that .... Well, he spends a small fortune on flowers every month. That's not unusual right? Celebrities are extravagant when it comes to what they like, except he has ordered florists to cut off all the leaves and hide the stalks on his floral decorations. Flowers that are being delivered to Elton John must be displayed in 8-inch vases. "Sir Elton has ordered two vases of white roses, two vases of red roses and one vase of white flowers which should not include carnations, chrysanthemums, daisies, or lilies which he does not like."
Well, if I were famous I think I would make everyone call me your heiness...just kidding. Fame is not all it's cracked up to be. What's the fun in being able to go and do anything you want, but not be able to because people and paparazzi stalk you. Oh well, I guess there really is a price to fame. I'll let them get away with being as bizarre as they want!
Well, here's another one. Elton John, you know the "Circle of Life" and all that .... Well, he spends a small fortune on flowers every month. That's not unusual right? Celebrities are extravagant when it comes to what they like, except he has ordered florists to cut off all the leaves and hide the stalks on his floral decorations. Flowers that are being delivered to Elton John must be displayed in 8-inch vases. "Sir Elton has ordered two vases of white roses, two vases of red roses and one vase of white flowers which should not include carnations, chrysanthemums, daisies, or lilies which he does not like."
Well, if I were famous I think I would make everyone call me your heiness...just kidding. Fame is not all it's cracked up to be. What's the fun in being able to go and do anything you want, but not be able to because people and paparazzi stalk you. Oh well, I guess there really is a price to fame. I'll let them get away with being as bizarre as they want!
My Debt Reduction
The debt is going down much more quickly than I imagined. The blogging opportunities are increasing and so is the income. Pretty soon, I will be able to pay off the credit cards and have them available for what they are realy for. What are they really for? They are for emergencies, that is until I can save up an emergency fund. Unfortunately, emergencies in the past consisted of having to buy the kids clothing due to growth spurts. Why? well, because their dad was behind on their child support ....again.
Credit cards can be a way to make some extra money , if used correctly. They don't have to be considered evil. They can also save you lots of cash on items that you would regularly purchase anyway. How? My credit cards send me deals for car rentals, preferred customer sales and certificates for free purchases. If you can manage to pay the bill every month and not carry a balance, then you can really maximize these opportunities.
For more information on cards that offer cash back rewards, 0% APR or more benefits visit bizjournals. You can get some free money out of these credit cards, if you are disciplined enough.
Credit cards can be a way to make some extra money , if used correctly. They don't have to be considered evil. They can also save you lots of cash on items that you would regularly purchase anyway. How? My credit cards send me deals for car rentals, preferred customer sales and certificates for free purchases. If you can manage to pay the bill every month and not carry a balance, then you can really maximize these opportunities.
For more information on cards that offer cash back rewards, 0% APR or more benefits visit bizjournals. You can get some free money out of these credit cards, if you are disciplined enough.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
The Carnival of Family Life #10
Would you like to read some great blogs? There is a great carnival called the Carnival of Family Life. It was created by Kailani and her blog is called The Pink Diary. If you want to submit one of your great posts, just visit her blog for details. Here is the 10th edition of The Carnival of Family Life.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Short Term Car Insurance
Here's something I just found. There are car insurance companies that offer short term car insurance. This is great in several instances. For example, it covers users to drive a new car away from the home, a family member or friend to borrow someone else's car, when travelling on holiday with a number of people who want to share the driving or when renting a vehicle.
This sounds like a great idea, especially when you have family visiting all summer. Luckily, I live far from the city and so I don't get a lot of family visiting. When I lived in the Bronx with my parents...it was unreal. Both of my parents' families visited all summer. We were like a hotel, did I mention we lived in a two bedroom apartment? Well, it's common in our culture to visit family like that. It's just that my parents had a arge family. My mom has 11 brothers and sisters and my dad had 4 siblings. So it translated into lots of family and tourist attractions. My Dad likes to take visitors all over NYC. Now that he moved to PR, the NY family is visiting. My Dad and my Mom take them all over the island to all the toursit spots. They should have gotten into that field!!!!
I find this insurance is a great idea because I believe it's better to be safe than sorry.
This sounds like a great idea, especially when you have family visiting all summer. Luckily, I live far from the city and so I don't get a lot of family visiting. When I lived in the Bronx with my parents...it was unreal. Both of my parents' families visited all summer. We were like a hotel, did I mention we lived in a two bedroom apartment? Well, it's common in our culture to visit family like that. It's just that my parents had a arge family. My mom has 11 brothers and sisters and my dad had 4 siblings. So it translated into lots of family and tourist attractions. My Dad likes to take visitors all over NYC. Now that he moved to PR, the NY family is visiting. My Dad and my Mom take them all over the island to all the toursit spots. They should have gotten into that field!!!!
I find this insurance is a great idea because I believe it's better to be safe than sorry.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Beauty and Brains!!!!
Here is a woman that has combined her beauty and brains to maximize her earning potential. Estelle Reyna is a Latin Supermodel. Her travels as a model take her all over the world. She has her own travel show called Estelle's Paradise. She also has a video podcast that provides video footage from around the world. Before you take your next trip, research her podcasts. She overs all the sites, sounds and tastes of each location. You use this information to plan your activities. On these podcasts, she shares health and fitness tips. She also gives advice on home decor and remodeling secrets.
Estelle is not only beautiful, but she's also business savvy, intelligent and an entrepreneur. She's fluent in 6 languages and all her clips are delivered
in English and Spanish. More than just a pretty face, this young Hispanic woman is a great inspiration for many young girls everywhere. She has been a guest on virtually
every talk show in the US, Latin America and Western Europe! What a resume!
All I have to say is "You go girl!!!" Visit http://www.estelle.tv/ for more information on travel and exotic destinations!
Estelle is not only beautiful, but she's also business savvy, intelligent and an entrepreneur. She's fluent in 6 languages and all her clips are delivered
in English and Spanish. More than just a pretty face, this young Hispanic woman is a great inspiration for many young girls everywhere. She has been a guest on virtually
every talk show in the US, Latin America and Western Europe! What a resume!
All I have to say is "You go girl!!!" Visit http://www.estelle.tv/ for more information on travel and exotic destinations!
Anyone Remember The Three Kings (1999)?
Remember the movie The Three Kings? It was about four soldiers that set out to steal gold that was stolen from Kuwait?! George clooney starred in this movie with Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube and Spike Jonze-Jamie Kenendy is in the flick too.
In 1990, I was dating a marine that was sent to the Persian Gulf War. He was stationed at Bahrain. I remember calling him and hearing the bombs. He would have to hang up because he had to put on his mask in case biochemical warfare agents were being released into the air. But I digress. The characters in the movie go through hell to steal this gold, but as Americans often do...they end up helping some people that need rescuing.
George Clooney's performance was great as usual. Remember George Clooney from the "Facts of Life"? He's was hunky back then too. He reminds me of a handsome rustic type, you know the Marlboro man. A Tom Selleck type of handsome. Geez, I was addiced to ER the first several seasons. Watching him romp around with all those women, was that really his character or was he getting paid to be himself??? Just kidding... Anyway, the movie really made me feel bad about the fact that all these young guys and girls were protecting our freedoms and all that jazz and I was clubbing... Well, because that's what I was doing. I was working two jobs, going to college and clubbing everyday-yup even on Mondays. Years later there's another war and we are doing the same thing. We are living life everyday and men and women are across the world in very risky situations.
I know, where did this rant come from? It was inspired by a web release about Monex that explains how one can buy gold bullion. They're as company that's been around since 1967, helping hundreds of thousands of people invest in precious metals.
The thought of bricks of gold reminded me of the movie. It also brought to mind how people do foolish things to obtain riches, even risking their own lives. Seems like Americans love to watch movies about greed... remember Indecent Proposal..or was that really supposed to be a love story *with a smirk and sarcasm*...whatever.
I just hope that our men and women try their best to stay safe while they are used as pawns in the chess game being played by OUR leaders...
In 1990, I was dating a marine that was sent to the Persian Gulf War. He was stationed at Bahrain. I remember calling him and hearing the bombs. He would have to hang up because he had to put on his mask in case biochemical warfare agents were being released into the air. But I digress. The characters in the movie go through hell to steal this gold, but as Americans often do...they end up helping some people that need rescuing.
George Clooney's performance was great as usual. Remember George Clooney from the "Facts of Life"? He's was hunky back then too. He reminds me of a handsome rustic type, you know the Marlboro man. A Tom Selleck type of handsome. Geez, I was addiced to ER the first several seasons. Watching him romp around with all those women, was that really his character or was he getting paid to be himself??? Just kidding... Anyway, the movie really made me feel bad about the fact that all these young guys and girls were protecting our freedoms and all that jazz and I was clubbing... Well, because that's what I was doing. I was working two jobs, going to college and clubbing everyday-yup even on Mondays. Years later there's another war and we are doing the same thing. We are living life everyday and men and women are across the world in very risky situations.
I know, where did this rant come from? It was inspired by a web release about Monex that explains how one can buy gold bullion. They're as company that's been around since 1967, helping hundreds of thousands of people invest in precious metals.
The thought of bricks of gold reminded me of the movie. It also brought to mind how people do foolish things to obtain riches, even risking their own lives. Seems like Americans love to watch movies about greed... remember Indecent Proposal..or was that really supposed to be a love story *with a smirk and sarcasm*...whatever.
I just hope that our men and women try their best to stay safe while they are used as pawns in the chess game being played by OUR leaders...
Encourage Excellence!
What's up with the negativity? Remember the autistic boy Jason McElwain, that saved his team's game? Yes, the one that warmed the bench during the season and then got EVERY shot in the hoop?!?! Watch the news clip from CBS News. Soon after this, rumors surfaced that a movie was in the works. I thought, "Great!" What movies do we really have to raise autism awareness...besides "Rainman". And We all know that Rainman is on the high functioning side of the spectrum?! I applaud people with any kind of disabilities that defeat the odds.
Guess what I came across. People whining about the proposal. "Hey", I commented...because I'm confrontational like that...."I have an autistic child and I would love to raise Autism Awareness. Hollywood is not a bad route. We could use some big name celebrities supporting research". Well, many people said ,"Oh! Like I want to sit through over an hour of that!" "Welcome to my life"! I replied. You know, I love true stories of people that overcome and triumph. This child deserves to have his story told and so do his parents. The parents that took him to every game and sadly watched as their son warmed the bench.... He endured months of warming a bench when all the time, he played better than the TEAM..
Then there are stories like Nancy Burpee. She has a degenerative disease that wasn't diagnosed until she turned 30! A world record breaking swimmer (she competes in the Paralympic Games), she was robbed of her opportunity to represent the American team in Athens. This woman has had 24 knee surgeries, broken several bones due to her condition and suffers severe pain in her joints. She sought legal counsel from simmons jannace & stagg (they represented her pro bono) and she still was kept from competing in the Paralympic Games. It has not stopped her from competing everywhere else. She'll be back at the World Championships soon-breaking world records I'm sure. The negativity by those that had hidden agendas and professional envy stopped her from her gaol-this time.
Instead of encouraging, inspiring and edifying those that face adversity and triumph, negative people try to drag them down. Jason McElwain and Nancy Burpee are people whose spirits soar, regardless of the limitations of their intellectual and physical hindrances. Let them soar and let us be the wind to lift them up even higher. All those negative people that like to murmur, listen up. Focus your negative energy into a goal you want to accompish. Then maybe you too can be like these exceptional people....
Guess what I came across. People whining about the proposal. "Hey", I commented...because I'm confrontational like that...."I have an autistic child and I would love to raise Autism Awareness. Hollywood is not a bad route. We could use some big name celebrities supporting research". Well, many people said ,"Oh! Like I want to sit through over an hour of that!" "Welcome to my life"! I replied. You know, I love true stories of people that overcome and triumph. This child deserves to have his story told and so do his parents. The parents that took him to every game and sadly watched as their son warmed the bench.... He endured months of warming a bench when all the time, he played better than the TEAM..
Then there are stories like Nancy Burpee. She has a degenerative disease that wasn't diagnosed until she turned 30! A world record breaking swimmer (she competes in the Paralympic Games), she was robbed of her opportunity to represent the American team in Athens. This woman has had 24 knee surgeries, broken several bones due to her condition and suffers severe pain in her joints. She sought legal counsel from simmons jannace & stagg (they represented her pro bono) and she still was kept from competing in the Paralympic Games. It has not stopped her from competing everywhere else. She'll be back at the World Championships soon-breaking world records I'm sure. The negativity by those that had hidden agendas and professional envy stopped her from her gaol-this time.
Instead of encouraging, inspiring and edifying those that face adversity and triumph, negative people try to drag them down. Jason McElwain and Nancy Burpee are people whose spirits soar, regardless of the limitations of their intellectual and physical hindrances. Let them soar and let us be the wind to lift them up even higher. All those negative people that like to murmur, listen up. Focus your negative energy into a goal you want to accompish. Then maybe you too can be like these exceptional people....
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Life for an Adult with Autism
My friend sent me this link a while ago.
Life for an Adult with Autism
I don't remember watching it. Maybe I was too busy or perhaps I purposely avoided watching it. It made me realize one big dilema I have. I have been living my whole life depending on myself. I struggle, suffer, persevere and triumph...alone. Acompanied by my children, I go forward in this life, knowing they will grow in the future and have their own lives. All will leave the nest, except one. This is why I like to stay in the here and now. The realization that I will not be able to care for the Little One forever has hit me like a ton of bricks.
Since this realization how come upon me, I now must refocus my financial goals to care for his needs. My oldest children have vowed to care for him, but even if they do keep this noble promise....special assistance, attendants and such will be needed. I know, it seems like I am jumping the gun. This is how I reacted when he started regressing and how I got the EI started right away. I see a problem, I work on the solution. Life insurance, trust funds and the like will be my topics for indepth research. I don't know what the future holds, so I will be setting up the life insurance ASAP. I'll keep you posted.
Life for an Adult with Autism
I don't remember watching it. Maybe I was too busy or perhaps I purposely avoided watching it. It made me realize one big dilema I have. I have been living my whole life depending on myself. I struggle, suffer, persevere and triumph...alone. Acompanied by my children, I go forward in this life, knowing they will grow in the future and have their own lives. All will leave the nest, except one. This is why I like to stay in the here and now. The realization that I will not be able to care for the Little One forever has hit me like a ton of bricks.
Since this realization how come upon me, I now must refocus my financial goals to care for his needs. My oldest children have vowed to care for him, but even if they do keep this noble promise....special assistance, attendants and such will be needed. I know, it seems like I am jumping the gun. This is how I reacted when he started regressing and how I got the EI started right away. I see a problem, I work on the solution. Life insurance, trust funds and the like will be my topics for indepth research. I don't know what the future holds, so I will be setting up the life insurance ASAP. I'll keep you posted.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Windfall: What Would You Do?
There is a show called Windfall on NBC airing on Thursdays 10/9C http://www.nbc.com/Windfall/money_tracker/ and it is brings up a noteworthy topic. What would you do if you had a sudden windfall of money? What would you spend it on? Would you stay in your current relationship? Would it change your life, in more than the obvious financial way? Well, the naswer is yes it would....David Chapelle knows that all too well! But anyway, here's my answer..
If I came into posession of a large amount of money I would:
1. give my church an offering.
2. pay off my debt.
3. make sure my kids were taken care of (trust funds).
4. pay off my parents debt and renvoate their house EXACTLY the way they want it.
5. pay off my sisters bills and set up college funds for my niece and nephew.
6. invest the rest.
Why didn't I buy large ticket items? I live in a 6 bedroom house with over 2 acres of land and I have two minvans. Do you know what I learned? The more stuff you have, the more stuff you have to TAKE CARE OF. I don't want to spend my life taking care of material posessions. I want to spend it having fun with my family, my kids and eventually my grandkids....(I can wait for those!)
This show on NBC follows the lives of several lottery winners and they keep track of the spending on the web site. Luke Perry is one of the characters. (I'll try to find the picture I took of him many years ago). You can read each character's bio on the the show's web site. The show is like a soap. You know what happens when a large sum of money is introduced into a situation. It gets ugly and these chaacters get really ugly, really fast.
Check it out and come back and leave a comment about what you think...
Seriously though, what would you do if you came into a sudden windfall of money?
If I came into posession of a large amount of money I would:
1. give my church an offering.
2. pay off my debt.
3. make sure my kids were taken care of (trust funds).
4. pay off my parents debt and renvoate their house EXACTLY the way they want it.
5. pay off my sisters bills and set up college funds for my niece and nephew.
6. invest the rest.
Why didn't I buy large ticket items? I live in a 6 bedroom house with over 2 acres of land and I have two minvans. Do you know what I learned? The more stuff you have, the more stuff you have to TAKE CARE OF. I don't want to spend my life taking care of material posessions. I want to spend it having fun with my family, my kids and eventually my grandkids....(I can wait for those!)
This show on NBC follows the lives of several lottery winners and they keep track of the spending on the web site. Luke Perry is one of the characters. (I'll try to find the picture I took of him many years ago). You can read each character's bio on the the show's web site. The show is like a soap. You know what happens when a large sum of money is introduced into a situation. It gets ugly and these chaacters get really ugly, really fast.
Check it out and come back and leave a comment about what you think...
Seriously though, what would you do if you came into a sudden windfall of money?
First Star Jones and Now Brandy!
I'm sure you've heard of the controversy surrounding Star Jones and The View?!? I heard about it on Power 105 on the Ed Lover show and then again this morning on The Morning Show. It intrigued me so I did did a little research. I read the CNN.com transcripts of Star Jones guest appearance on Larry King. Next, I visited people.com and blogcritics.com and found that not only have they trashed Star Jones, but they attempted to humiliate Brandy (the R&B singer who has sold over 25 million records).
I dont often write about these things, but this got me really upset. The View is a show produced by Barbara Walters. It is supposed to be a show about a diverse group of women in America, with different viewpoints. Just looking at the cohosts, I see no diversity. Sure, one cohost is young and slim and the other is older and can use some exercise, but they are the same. Star Jones was the only cohost representing the minorities of America. Yes, minorities... America is made up of several minorities, but only the African-Americans were represented here. I don't know, but the last time I was in the city and looked across the subway platform I saw African-Americans, Asian, Middle Eastern and Hispanics waiting for the train-not just Caucasians. Where's the diversity in The View? If you take a step back and and really look at the cohosts, do they really represent us? They don't represent me.
That's not the only bone I have to pick. I grew up watching 20/20. I admired Barbara Walters, but realized that she did a great job of putting her foot in her mouth...often. I'll never forget the episode (before the great fall of Tom Cruise) where she asked about Mimi and he completely lost his composure. She says the wrong things and has always been praised as a journalist that asks the right questions. A genius of journalism. She has poor social skills, I wonder if she's ever been tested?
We have seen two instances of "saying the wrong thing" in July:
1. She feels betrayed by Star Jones? She was shocked by the announcement? Uhhh, Barbara Walters knew she was leaving!!!! The View didn't renew her contract, gave her an exact date and told her she could say whatever she wanted to the viewers. Whatever that is....except the TRUTH.
Here's an excerpt from the Larry King show (Transcripts):
The next day she says:
I guess they weren't really shocked then? Since they admittedly knew that her contract was not being renewed. Ohh, but she wasn't fired? Right? Semantics, the opium used to pacify the masses...
2. Barbara Walters asked BRANDY if here hair was real. They also asked her to bend over so that they can see her tattos (Brandy admitted to having 5). (Anyone that grew up in a diverse community knows, you never ask an African American or Hispanic woman if their hair is real)?! By asking this question, Barbara Walters showed the world how she needs some cultural diversity training in the worst way! Then the "comedienne" of the show asks Brandy if her mother was an alcoholic, because she named her BRANDY. NOT FUNNY! No matter how you look at it, it's not funny. Brandy was put on display, oggled and laughed AT -NOT WITH. I wonder if they did this on purpose, so that Brandy would not be chosen over their other candidates? Just a thought.
What the??? This morning I visited different forums just to gauge the public opinion. What did I find? MSNBC.com asked readers to give suggestions on a replacement for the cohost. The names that were thrown around? Maria Shriver, Connie Chung, Aisha Taylor, Gayle King and Wanda Sykes. (Some people didn't receive Wanda Sykes nomination well. They made a reference to having to swallow ebonics. Another racial comment....)
I have no false illusions of being represented in The View. Who would really represent the Hispanics in a realistic manner: JLO, Rose Perez or Eva Mendes? If they couldn't handle Star Jones' caustic quips, they could never handle a true Hispanics comebacks (right Diana and Sal)?!?! In the end, The View really caters to soccer moms that sit around and whine about their gardeners not speaking English and their spa time being intruded upon by their incompetent nanny's tardiness. The View may be the view of a few in America, but it isn't the view of most of the momys.com, crazy hip blog mommas or the majority of the readers of my blogs. Nobody wants to see the face of the lower middle class that struggles with the bills, or the trials of special needs kids and even single parenting on a shoe string budget. Oops that's right, I forgot. We are like the dust that gets swept under the carpet. Better off not seen and eventually forgotten...
I dont often write about these things, but this got me really upset. The View is a show produced by Barbara Walters. It is supposed to be a show about a diverse group of women in America, with different viewpoints. Just looking at the cohosts, I see no diversity. Sure, one cohost is young and slim and the other is older and can use some exercise, but they are the same. Star Jones was the only cohost representing the minorities of America. Yes, minorities... America is made up of several minorities, but only the African-Americans were represented here. I don't know, but the last time I was in the city and looked across the subway platform I saw African-Americans, Asian, Middle Eastern and Hispanics waiting for the train-not just Caucasians. Where's the diversity in The View? If you take a step back and and really look at the cohosts, do they really represent us? They don't represent me.
That's not the only bone I have to pick. I grew up watching 20/20. I admired Barbara Walters, but realized that she did a great job of putting her foot in her mouth...often. I'll never forget the episode (before the great fall of Tom Cruise) where she asked about Mimi and he completely lost his composure. She says the wrong things and has always been praised as a journalist that asks the right questions. A genius of journalism. She has poor social skills, I wonder if she's ever been tested?
We have seen two instances of "saying the wrong thing" in July:
1. She feels betrayed by Star Jones? She was shocked by the announcement? Uhhh, Barbara Walters knew she was leaving!!!! The View didn't renew her contract, gave her an exact date and told her she could say whatever she wanted to the viewers. Whatever that is....except the TRUTH.
Here's an excerpt from the Larry King show (Transcripts):
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REYNOLDS: Something's been on my heart for a little bit and after much prayer and counsel I feel like this is the right time to tell you that the show's moving in another direction for its tenth season and I will not be returning as co-host next year.
WALTERS: Oh, shocking. It's shocking to me that you...
REYNOLDS: I'm going to hold your hands right now because as you might imagine this has got to be the hardest thing to do, OK.
WALTERS: This is hard, sure. Yes. REYNOLDS: It's been the most amazing nine years of my entire professional and personal life. Barbara, I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime to sit at this table and sit with you guys. My co-hosts Joy and Elizabeth and my Meredith in absentia we have a lifetime of memories together.
The next day she says:
WALTERS: This is truthfully a very difficult day for us and it's a sad day for us. If you were watching the program yesterday, you would have heard Star announce that she's leaving "The View" and will not be on the program next fall.
We didn't expect her to make this statement yesterday. She gave us no warning and we were taken by surprise. But the truth is that Star has known for months that ABC did not want to renew her contract and that she would not be asked back in the fall.
I guess they weren't really shocked then? Since they admittedly knew that her contract was not being renewed. Ohh, but she wasn't fired? Right? Semantics, the opium used to pacify the masses...
2. Barbara Walters asked BRANDY if here hair was real. They also asked her to bend over so that they can see her tattos (Brandy admitted to having 5). (Anyone that grew up in a diverse community knows, you never ask an African American or Hispanic woman if their hair is real)?! By asking this question, Barbara Walters showed the world how she needs some cultural diversity training in the worst way! Then the "comedienne" of the show asks Brandy if her mother was an alcoholic, because she named her BRANDY. NOT FUNNY! No matter how you look at it, it's not funny. Brandy was put on display, oggled and laughed AT -NOT WITH. I wonder if they did this on purpose, so that Brandy would not be chosen over their other candidates? Just a thought.
What the??? This morning I visited different forums just to gauge the public opinion. What did I find? MSNBC.com asked readers to give suggestions on a replacement for the cohost. The names that were thrown around? Maria Shriver, Connie Chung, Aisha Taylor, Gayle King and Wanda Sykes. (Some people didn't receive Wanda Sykes nomination well. They made a reference to having to swallow ebonics. Another racial comment....)
I have no false illusions of being represented in The View. Who would really represent the Hispanics in a realistic manner: JLO, Rose Perez or Eva Mendes? If they couldn't handle Star Jones' caustic quips, they could never handle a true Hispanics comebacks (right Diana and Sal)?!?! In the end, The View really caters to soccer moms that sit around and whine about their gardeners not speaking English and their spa time being intruded upon by their incompetent nanny's tardiness. The View may be the view of a few in America, but it isn't the view of most of the momys.com, crazy hip blog mommas or the majority of the readers of my blogs. Nobody wants to see the face of the lower middle class that struggles with the bills, or the trials of special needs kids and even single parenting on a shoe string budget. Oops that's right, I forgot. We are like the dust that gets swept under the carpet. Better off not seen and eventually forgotten...
Monday, July 10, 2006
Look What I Found!
I'm using The Chatterbox's computer right now. I found the most adorable pictures of her with the kids. I just had to share them.
Message for my sisters:
Save these on your computers. I probably won't remember to email them!
The Chatterbox and The Princess
The Chatterbox and The Little One
She's dangerous with cameras. Look at this picture of The Little One she took. The teens are always trying to make him look like a big boy!
They are just like their mother...love posing for the camera!
Message for my sisters:
Save these on your computers. I probably won't remember to email them!
The Chatterbox and The Princess
The Chatterbox and The Little One
She's dangerous with cameras. Look at this picture of The Little One she took. The teens are always trying to make him look like a big boy!
They are just like their mother...love posing for the camera!
My Trips to Florida...
Before I even start this entry, I want to send a great big Happy Birhtday to my friend Nora. You can find a link to her web site on the right side bar. **I'm sorry I missed your birthday bash. Trust me, I really would have loved to be there. Unfortunately, my finances and kids kept me from flying out... I got your emails, so I know it was a night to remember!!!**
My friend has never seen these pictures that I took so many years ago, so I thought I would share them as well as some great memories of my trips to her home state- Florida. As I stated here before, I visited Nora in Florida on two ocassions: 1987 and 1989. I had a great time. Little did I know they would be the last vacations that I ever take!
While I was there, Nora and her wonderful husband Andrew took me all over the state! They took me to Miami, Orlando and Key West (just to name a few). They took me to the beaches, the malls, the night clubs and Walt Disney World! We went to Epcott Center, The Magic Kingdom and Board Walk and Baseball. I am posting a picture, but keep in mind...this was taken in 1987-thus the eighties HAIR!
The first picture was taken in Walt Disney World. I loved how you could walk from one section to another and feel like you were transported to another part of the world. The food? Great! Another thing I have to mention, Floridians are so friendly and everything is so clean. (Born and raised in NYC, these were uncommon characteristics of a people and a city).
The second picture was taken when we went to see some of their friends practice the water skiing show they were a part of. They even gave us a ride on the speedboat. The funniest part was that the speedboat got stuck and we had to get out of the boat to push it! We were in very shallow water...
The beaches were great. The sand was white and the water was a bright blue and you can see right through it. (I was accustomed to the dark waters of the NY beaches!) I was also not aware of how quickly you can get sunburn. We went to the beach and forgot our sunscreen. we walked around for a little while and then decided to leave. That night I suffered from sunbun like you wouldn't believe. It really sucked because I went for spring break and when I arrived in NY, it was still cold and I had to wear a coat! To make matters worse, I went to Catholic School so I had to wear a uniform with stockings and my sunburn was unreal. Boy, I smelled like Noxzema 24/7. (It cools off the skin when you have a sunburn).
All in all, I have never had such a great time! I will always remember and greatly appreciate the times we had and I hope to see you again...someday!
In case anyone is interested in researching Florida vacations, here's a quick link http://www.flausa.com.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Yours, Mine and Ours: My Life
While checking out the latest MOTW at crazy hip blog mommas, I read the prompt and thought, "How intersting?" The wrting creative is the following: “What song or movie best tells the story of your life/family?” That's easy. I know you thought I would say Snow White, but there's one difference. Snow White married Prince Charming and lived happily ever after. I on the other hand, ended up with a frog and 7 dwarves that don't go off to work!
So which movie did I chose? Yours, Mine and Ours. I laughed until my sides hurt during that movie. You see, that character was exactly like me. During one scene she hears a large crash and she shrugs it off. That's me. I'm creative, but disorganized- like her. My kids were rolling during the scene where her kids cleaned up her studio. Her mess was just that...her mess. She could find anything even though it looked like havoc to everyone else. When she walked into her studio and everything was neatly put away, she lost her mind.
I enjoyed this movie for many reasons, one being that if I had the money and the help I am crazy enough to have that many kids. The difference between this movie and my life is Dennis Quaid. I wish I had a Dennis Quaid, but I don't. Hey, that kind of makes it suck. I have all the negative aspects of the movie and none of the positive. Oh well, such is life. Movies are pretend. The biggest similarity between my life and this movie is that our life is soo bizarre, it's entertaining....
Recap of the movie and my life:
The Movie
18 kids blended family consisting of bios and non bios
single parent mom creative tyrp, disorganized
parenting style is very relaxed
several pets
live in a large home
My Life
7 kids, 5 bios and 2 non bios
single parent creative type, type A...but still disorganized
1 dog, 4 cats, 3 birds, 1 frog and 1 beta
live in a large home in the middle of nowhere
2 special needs kids: ADD and Autism (oohhh, how exciting)
My life is more entertaining. When you add all the relationships with the mothers, fathers, different sets of grandparents, aunts and uncles that I have to deal with you get a sitcom. To make matters even more complicated, some of the grandparents aren't together either. I can entertain you just with stories about the holidays... Everybody wants the kids, no one wants to drive to get them and the families don't get along... Then there are the biological siblings that live with the other parents. My first biological children have 1 half brother from me, 3 half sisters from their father, 4 step brothers and one cousin that lives with them like a sister??? That makes about 12 siblings. You don't want to see what that family tree looks like. It would resemble one of the Lord of The Rings' trees!
Let's just say, my life is a soap gone sooo soo wrong. There is never a dull moment...
So which movie did I chose? Yours, Mine and Ours. I laughed until my sides hurt during that movie. You see, that character was exactly like me. During one scene she hears a large crash and she shrugs it off. That's me. I'm creative, but disorganized- like her. My kids were rolling during the scene where her kids cleaned up her studio. Her mess was just that...her mess. She could find anything even though it looked like havoc to everyone else. When she walked into her studio and everything was neatly put away, she lost her mind.
I enjoyed this movie for many reasons, one being that if I had the money and the help I am crazy enough to have that many kids. The difference between this movie and my life is Dennis Quaid. I wish I had a Dennis Quaid, but I don't. Hey, that kind of makes it suck. I have all the negative aspects of the movie and none of the positive. Oh well, such is life. Movies are pretend. The biggest similarity between my life and this movie is that our life is soo bizarre, it's entertaining....
Recap of the movie and my life:
The Movie
18 kids blended family consisting of bios and non bios
single parent mom creative tyrp, disorganized
parenting style is very relaxed
several pets
live in a large home
My Life
7 kids, 5 bios and 2 non bios
single parent creative type, type A...but still disorganized
1 dog, 4 cats, 3 birds, 1 frog and 1 beta
live in a large home in the middle of nowhere
2 special needs kids: ADD and Autism (oohhh, how exciting)
My life is more entertaining. When you add all the relationships with the mothers, fathers, different sets of grandparents, aunts and uncles that I have to deal with you get a sitcom. To make matters even more complicated, some of the grandparents aren't together either. I can entertain you just with stories about the holidays... Everybody wants the kids, no one wants to drive to get them and the families don't get along... Then there are the biological siblings that live with the other parents. My first biological children have 1 half brother from me, 3 half sisters from their father, 4 step brothers and one cousin that lives with them like a sister??? That makes about 12 siblings. You don't want to see what that family tree looks like. It would resemble one of the Lord of The Rings' trees!
Let's just say, my life is a soap gone sooo soo wrong. There is never a dull moment...
Something That Ties Us Together...
PDD-Nos Memoirs
When I walked into the supermarket, I saw her. She was speaking to another woman, her son by her side. He was a young adult, from behind he resembled my 13 yr old. He had a stocky build and was dressed in the latest designer brands. From behind, he looked like any other young man. She smiled as she spoke to the woman, but something was different. As I was looking at the sodas and talkng to the Princess, she came over and asked about the price of the soda. She asked, but it was more a way to connect. It was obvious that the answer was irrelevant to her. That's when I glanced at her and I saw something familiar. I saw a contentment, but sensed a heavy sadness in her soul. That's when I immediately glanced at her son and realized, we were connected in ways that others would never understand. Her son was a young adult with special needs. Funny, how we can identify one another in a room. We can be silent, but that heaviness, the sadness of reality and the inner strength that propels us forward binds us together. I sensed that she was weary, but she walked with confidence and strength.
She passed me by, smiling as she acknowledged the Princess. I knew her thoughts. She tenderly admired my little girl and kindly spoke to her son as she put her arm around him to lovingly guide him. I often look at my own children and wonder "WHY"? The Little One may never experience what my other 6 have. He may never go to a dance, never have a girlfriend or a family of his own. Although I try to look forward to the future with hope, I often become sullen with these thoughts. I know I should consider myself lucky that the other children were "healthy and normal". They didn't need all the special therapy, care and equipment that The Little One does. Still, there are times that I see other large families and the heaviness creeps up again.
While at the checkout I couldn't help but think of Little One's future. I already know he will not have a kindergarten graduation at his special school. At 4 he can count to 30, can count from 1-10 in spanish and backwards in English. He can identify his colors, shapes, numbers and alphabet. He knows more than most kids entering kindergarten, but his speech delay and his condition make his life harder. I have already experienced young kids commenting on his speech. Although he is a happy, friendly child, he is different. Different is not always welcome. In our soceity, different is often ostracized. My heart breaks for him, but I must mask my worries. His father is in denial and the kids watch my every move. I feel that showing this sadness may do more harm then good. The kids are strong and they help to teach and protect their brother. They have great hopes for his future and I want to believe that too. It is hard to both walk by faith and not by sight and live in this world. It is a dubious existence.
Forgive me if I have brought you sadness, it was not my intention. Writing is therapeutic for me. At the same time, sharing these thoughts may help someone else. Sometimes it is helpful for others to know that people are vulnerable and that although we do what is necessary-a human has emotions, worries and fears....
When I walked into the supermarket, I saw her. She was speaking to another woman, her son by her side. He was a young adult, from behind he resembled my 13 yr old. He had a stocky build and was dressed in the latest designer brands. From behind, he looked like any other young man. She smiled as she spoke to the woman, but something was different. As I was looking at the sodas and talkng to the Princess, she came over and asked about the price of the soda. She asked, but it was more a way to connect. It was obvious that the answer was irrelevant to her. That's when I glanced at her and I saw something familiar. I saw a contentment, but sensed a heavy sadness in her soul. That's when I immediately glanced at her son and realized, we were connected in ways that others would never understand. Her son was a young adult with special needs. Funny, how we can identify one another in a room. We can be silent, but that heaviness, the sadness of reality and the inner strength that propels us forward binds us together. I sensed that she was weary, but she walked with confidence and strength.
She passed me by, smiling as she acknowledged the Princess. I knew her thoughts. She tenderly admired my little girl and kindly spoke to her son as she put her arm around him to lovingly guide him. I often look at my own children and wonder "WHY"? The Little One may never experience what my other 6 have. He may never go to a dance, never have a girlfriend or a family of his own. Although I try to look forward to the future with hope, I often become sullen with these thoughts. I know I should consider myself lucky that the other children were "healthy and normal". They didn't need all the special therapy, care and equipment that The Little One does. Still, there are times that I see other large families and the heaviness creeps up again.
While at the checkout I couldn't help but think of Little One's future. I already know he will not have a kindergarten graduation at his special school. At 4 he can count to 30, can count from 1-10 in spanish and backwards in English. He can identify his colors, shapes, numbers and alphabet. He knows more than most kids entering kindergarten, but his speech delay and his condition make his life harder. I have already experienced young kids commenting on his speech. Although he is a happy, friendly child, he is different. Different is not always welcome. In our soceity, different is often ostracized. My heart breaks for him, but I must mask my worries. His father is in denial and the kids watch my every move. I feel that showing this sadness may do more harm then good. The kids are strong and they help to teach and protect their brother. They have great hopes for his future and I want to believe that too. It is hard to both walk by faith and not by sight and live in this world. It is a dubious existence.
Forgive me if I have brought you sadness, it was not my intention. Writing is therapeutic for me. At the same time, sharing these thoughts may help someone else. Sometimes it is helpful for others to know that people are vulnerable and that although we do what is necessary-a human has emotions, worries and fears....
Fear of the Unknown?
All of you know that I work for certain sites that pay you to post links in your blog. I have mentioned them before, in case there were other bloggers that were interested in making some extra money. I started doing this in May and I made close to $500.00 in one month. I posted a link on my other blog with a picture of my paypal account to prove it. It is a legal, fast and convenient way to make extra money.
When I write the entries required, I incorporate my personal life into the posts. I do not lie and make up stories to get people to use a service. I mention the website and the points they think are important about their product or service. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't fabricate stories about a client's great service. I see it as a way to get my creative juices flowing.
For a parent like me that has special needs children, it's a great way to make extra money. I can work from home, I can choose what products or services to write about and I get paid through paypal. My favorite part is that I can write whenever it's possible for me. I can write at midngiht when my 7 kids are sleeping or while they are in school. I can also work from any place that has an internet connection!
For some reason, there is a huge controversy surrounding the latest pay to blog site called http://www.payperpost.com. Ugly things are being said about payperpost.com's new venture. The debate is heating up. I don't know what to think about their behavior? I don't know if it's that some A list bloggers don't know that there were other sites like this before or that there is some bad history between the owner of this site and some big company. I read a post yesterday and they called this man the devil. What is the problem? After researching "paid bloggers", I came across another company called Marqui that recruited A list bloggers and was harshly criticized too. Marqui was paying A-list bloggers $800. a month for four posts and up to 4/$50.00 commission payments for leads!
Don't most affluent people in America profit from the advertisements and/or endorsements of products? Nascar has race cars splattered with ads. Even the movies that we take our kids to watch have ads in them -including the animated ones! Someone is always making a profit, but apparently it's not a problem when it's a celebrity. It's fine when P.Diddy, Iverson, Eminem, or Howard Stern get paid to mention a product or service, but it's evil when an everyday blogger does so and makes $5.00-$10.00 dollars?
Paris and Niki Hilton are being paid, bribed and lavished with FREEBIES just to visit Las Vegas establishments. They don't need the money, the gifts or the publicity. Why can't bloggers like me, that need the money write a post and get paid? I think it's evil that heiresses to the Hilton empire would even take bribes like this. Isn't that a conflict of interest?
Professional bloggers make plenty of money from their blogs. Their blogs create income through the ads they display. Google Adsense, Chitika Malls, Blogads, Text-Link ads, Crisp Ads, Amazon links, and many other sites are making them money. Why is it immoral, evil and vile for the "little bloggers" to make some money too? It's not like this is going to take food off their table. What are they worried about?
After reading all the comments, it seems like this is an example of fear of the unknown. I think some A-list bloggers are afraid that if any person will get paid to blog about a product, it will reduce the amount of money they are paid by sponsors. It's not about morality and integrity, it's about "The Benjamins"!!! They don't want to lose money. Money can make some people do and say crazy things. Don't think so? Read this post http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/06/30/payperpostcom-offers-to-buy-your-soul/ and tell me what you think. You can email me if you like....
When I write the entries required, I incorporate my personal life into the posts. I do not lie and make up stories to get people to use a service. I mention the website and the points they think are important about their product or service. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't fabricate stories about a client's great service. I see it as a way to get my creative juices flowing.
For a parent like me that has special needs children, it's a great way to make extra money. I can work from home, I can choose what products or services to write about and I get paid through paypal. My favorite part is that I can write whenever it's possible for me. I can write at midngiht when my 7 kids are sleeping or while they are in school. I can also work from any place that has an internet connection!
For some reason, there is a huge controversy surrounding the latest pay to blog site called http://www.payperpost.com. Ugly things are being said about payperpost.com's new venture. The debate is heating up. I don't know what to think about their behavior? I don't know if it's that some A list bloggers don't know that there were other sites like this before or that there is some bad history between the owner of this site and some big company. I read a post yesterday and they called this man the devil. What is the problem? After researching "paid bloggers", I came across another company called Marqui that recruited A list bloggers and was harshly criticized too. Marqui was paying A-list bloggers $800. a month for four posts and up to 4/$50.00 commission payments for leads!
Don't most affluent people in America profit from the advertisements and/or endorsements of products? Nascar has race cars splattered with ads. Even the movies that we take our kids to watch have ads in them -including the animated ones! Someone is always making a profit, but apparently it's not a problem when it's a celebrity. It's fine when P.Diddy, Iverson, Eminem, or Howard Stern get paid to mention a product or service, but it's evil when an everyday blogger does so and makes $5.00-$10.00 dollars?
Paris and Niki Hilton are being paid, bribed and lavished with FREEBIES just to visit Las Vegas establishments. They don't need the money, the gifts or the publicity. Why can't bloggers like me, that need the money write a post and get paid? I think it's evil that heiresses to the Hilton empire would even take bribes like this. Isn't that a conflict of interest?
Professional bloggers make plenty of money from their blogs. Their blogs create income through the ads they display. Google Adsense, Chitika Malls, Blogads, Text-Link ads, Crisp Ads, Amazon links, and many other sites are making them money. Why is it immoral, evil and vile for the "little bloggers" to make some money too? It's not like this is going to take food off their table. What are they worried about?
After reading all the comments, it seems like this is an example of fear of the unknown. I think some A-list bloggers are afraid that if any person will get paid to blog about a product, it will reduce the amount of money they are paid by sponsors. It's not about morality and integrity, it's about "The Benjamins"!!! They don't want to lose money. Money can make some people do and say crazy things. Don't think so? Read this post http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/06/30/payperpostcom-offers-to-buy-your-soul/ and tell me what you think. You can email me if you like....
Happy Birthday to the Diva!!!!!
Today is The Diva's 13th birthday! She is now officially a teen...thrilling!!!! Just kidding. It seems like just the other day, she was climbing out of her crib and putting her shoes on backwards. Time goes by very quickly guys. Make sure you enjoy every minute of it.
I hope that she enjoys her day with her Dad. She'll be back home soon and then she will get to celebrate her birthday again, blow out another set of candles and collect more gifts. Geez, her life is not bad....
Here is my Diva in a book she was a model for. Here is another picture of her on the cover of a different book (she is wearing a yellow shirt) and here is a more recent one.
I hope that she enjoys her day with her Dad. She'll be back home soon and then she will get to celebrate her birthday again, blow out another set of candles and collect more gifts. Geez, her life is not bad....
Here is my Diva in a book she was a model for. Here is another picture of her on the cover of a different book (she is wearing a yellow shirt) and here is a more recent one.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Summer School Started Today...
The Little One, the Comedian and the Chatterbox all went to school today. It is quiet and peaceful here. Sleepy Dwarf and the Princess are sleeping. The Entrepreneur and The Diva are in the Bronx with their dad and great-grandfather.
Tomorrow is The Diva's birthday. She is spending it at her Dad's. I thought that would be a good idea, since I am spending half of the day driving back and forth to the school. She wouldn't get the attention she wants. I ordered tickets to take her to see one of her favorite bands for her birthday. I will be traveling to Staten Island to see the Jonas Brothers. They are the boys that sing the theme song to the animated show, The American Dragon. She is very excited and I am a little hesitant. It has been a long time since I have been to a concert. I still remember the screams and roars at the Menudo concerts. What have I gotten myself into? Well, the things we do for our kids, there are just no words.
On another note, I am doing pretty well earning income online. I received my first google payment and am making money pretty quickly in other ways. If I can keep this up, I can pay off the debt and take a trip to Florida!!! I really hope I can either do that or PR to visit my parents. Anything is better that staying here and dealing with...well some of you read my post. I don't want to keep repeating the negative comments.
Anyway, I will be back to post later. I have been wanting to write some things about my life. I have been reading a lot about women that are going through some tough times with separation and divorce. I have something to say...I just don't have the time now.
Be back later, Oh and for those that have teens....
**** I am putting together a dictionary of terms for parents to understand their kid's writing and speech. Since the rage of Instant Messaging, kids don't make much sense. At least I know my kids and their friends use this lingo in their conversations and they assume everyone knows what they mean. This guide will help you decipher the heiroglyphics! I'll post a link to it as soon as its posted!****
Tomorrow is The Diva's birthday. She is spending it at her Dad's. I thought that would be a good idea, since I am spending half of the day driving back and forth to the school. She wouldn't get the attention she wants. I ordered tickets to take her to see one of her favorite bands for her birthday. I will be traveling to Staten Island to see the Jonas Brothers. They are the boys that sing the theme song to the animated show, The American Dragon. She is very excited and I am a little hesitant. It has been a long time since I have been to a concert. I still remember the screams and roars at the Menudo concerts. What have I gotten myself into? Well, the things we do for our kids, there are just no words.
On another note, I am doing pretty well earning income online. I received my first google payment and am making money pretty quickly in other ways. If I can keep this up, I can pay off the debt and take a trip to Florida!!! I really hope I can either do that or PR to visit my parents. Anything is better that staying here and dealing with...well some of you read my post. I don't want to keep repeating the negative comments.
Anyway, I will be back to post later. I have been wanting to write some things about my life. I have been reading a lot about women that are going through some tough times with separation and divorce. I have something to say...I just don't have the time now.
Be back later, Oh and for those that have teens....
**** I am putting together a dictionary of terms for parents to understand their kid's writing and speech. Since the rage of Instant Messaging, kids don't make much sense. At least I know my kids and their friends use this lingo in their conversations and they assume everyone knows what they mean. This guide will help you decipher the heiroglyphics! I'll post a link to it as soon as its posted!****
A Laugh at My Expense...
Ok, here's a laugh on me....well actually you can thank my kids.
The Diva was publishing some content on her blog. She wanted to include a link to the site to give them credit. She looked at me frustrated and said, "I can't find the earl for this!" The Chatterbox looked at her shocked and then she looked at me, "What are you saying?" she asked with half a smile. The Diva answered, "I can't get the earl!" "Oh My God!", The Chatterbox exclaimed. "Do you mean the U-R-L?" and at that moment The Comedian turns to The Diva and says, "I see you had your blonde moment for today!"
Sleepy Dwarf was tweaking his myspace and he came across a humorous post by another blogger. The Comedian was also reading the page. The Comedian is 13 1/2, weighs 180 lbs and is 5' 6" in height. He started laughing at the joke and exclaims, "Holy Snickerdoodle!" Did I mention he resembles the rap artists of the day? Can you picture them yelling out that expletive?
I was talking to the kids as they were getting ready for school. The Diva had forgotten something on the other side of the house. She interrupts me in the middle of my sentence and yells "B-R-B! I forgot something and I have to go get it!" It's bad enough they don't write in English because thanks to the "IM-ing" they have shortcuts for everything....but now she is audibly using them!
There's a small peek into my world. Hope you enjoyed the laugh!
The Diva was publishing some content on her blog. She wanted to include a link to the site to give them credit. She looked at me frustrated and said, "I can't find the earl for this!" The Chatterbox looked at her shocked and then she looked at me, "What are you saying?" she asked with half a smile. The Diva answered, "I can't get the earl!" "Oh My God!", The Chatterbox exclaimed. "Do you mean the U-R-L?" and at that moment The Comedian turns to The Diva and says, "I see you had your blonde moment for today!"
Sleepy Dwarf was tweaking his myspace and he came across a humorous post by another blogger. The Comedian was also reading the page. The Comedian is 13 1/2, weighs 180 lbs and is 5' 6" in height. He started laughing at the joke and exclaims, "Holy Snickerdoodle!" Did I mention he resembles the rap artists of the day? Can you picture them yelling out that expletive?
I was talking to the kids as they were getting ready for school. The Diva had forgotten something on the other side of the house. She interrupts me in the middle of my sentence and yells "B-R-B! I forgot something and I have to go get it!" It's bad enough they don't write in English because thanks to the "IM-ing" they have shortcuts for everything....but now she is audibly using them!
There's a small peek into my world. Hope you enjoyed the laugh!
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