Snow Day AGAIN

Mother Natural must be upset about something because as a Welcome to Spring 2018 we received the gift of SNOW.

Of course the mayor shut down schools which meant the kids received their 879th snow day for the school year. Between all the holidays, half-days and snow days we had this school year I believe the children of NYC only had 2 weeks of actual school days. No wonder our school system is one of the WORST in the country.

I don't know when NYC became so soft when it came to shutting down school because of a few snow flurries.  I remember the storm of 1993. Snow reached about 6 ft high, you couldn't tell the road from the side walk. But all NYC Public Schools where OPEN. You had to take turns sliding down a snow bank in order to get into the schools entrance. Buses and Trains where not working, but parents walked miles just to drop their children off. And we went along our normal school day with NO EARLY DISMISSAL. Now If someone in New Jersey farts and that wind travels to the east at 25 miles per hour ALL NYC PUBLIC SCHOOLS are CLOSED. (Who Knew??)

Besides the fact that our Children are being under educated by teachers who are only there for a paycheck, we are teaching our children to be WEAK. SOOOO WHAT if they have to trug through 6 inches of snow. I think that helps build Character, Strength and Ambition. It's real life situations like walking through the SNOW to get to school or work that helps build us up emotionally and physically.

Children no longer dance in the summer rain, Or make snow men during a winter snow storm. 😡

Childrens Place Zone

OK, so I've been a mother for over 15 years and that means I should be an expert when it comes to shopping for kids stuff right? (Who Knew??)

15 Years ago we didn't have the luxury of ordering whatever we needed for our kids online. We actually had to venture into stores, dig through racks, unfold shirts and stand on lines to pay for our items. We also didn't have one of the most amazing inventions known to any parent the "PRICE CHECKER". We had to stand on the line with all the items in hand, then wait until we reach the cashier to ask "Can you let me know how much these are?", in which we eventually tell them No Thank You to the 8 out of 10 items we picked up. This allowed use leave the store feeling undefeated because we saved 30% on a $8.00 shirt that our child will wear once and eventually end up being used as "Home Clothes"
                     ↖↗
(Terminology used by many West Indian parents for clothing worn when you come home from school or while lounging around the house on a weekend.)


Back to my rant. So for the past 15 years I have been religiously frequenting one kids clothing store in particular and I'm sure we all have step foot inside of "THE CHILDREN'S PLACE".
Great store, OK selection of children's apparel/shoes and you can find amazing deals. But the one thing that stumps me EVERY SINGLE TIME is the Children's Place Reward system.  Something is just not adding up.
                                                                                     

I've been shopping in this store since 2002, I've had 3 kids since then but every time I get to the register they ask for my phone number and email address to look up my points, but when I ask how much points I have they tell me NONE. WTF

SOOOOOOOOOO, you telling me for 15 years I haven't accumulated enough points to get a free pair of socks for my toddler??
Where all are all my points going? How are these points calculated? Is it a Use them or Lose them system? Are they lost in the Twilight Zone with all the one sided socks?

And A HAPPY NEW YEAR

THANK YOU SWEET BABY JESUS.. Christmas madness is OVER.

But I can't complain much because most of my gifts where ordered ONLINE. Why people still step foot in a toy store in search of toys blows my mind. I actually went to Target last week Friday and passed by the Toy aisle wondering if anyone else knew about AMAZON PRIME and all it's amazing AMAZINGNESS. (Yeah I know it's not a Word)

This Christmas has been on of the easiest (shopping wise) I've had in a long time. Anthony just wanted clothes, shoes and money. Tonio has a fascination with maps so all he wanted was things that enabled him to learn about different countries and a Wii so he came finally play "Just Dance". Ari wanted every toy she saw on TV, but she is 3 years old and really doesn't know the difference between all the toys and 4-5 toys. LOL

I didn't plan to go crazy this year for gifts because begin an experienced mom for 16 years I know that after the excitement of opening new toys the novelty of it all wears off and they are all back to watching their ipads. They are literally all watching their ipads right now. The wii is off, Paw Patrol is parked in the corner and the scooter is in the kitchen. (WHO KNEW, I did).

Anyway, I'm just happy that Christmas is over and we can begin a new year. New goals, New Laughs, New Jokes. Thank you all for taking your time out to read my crazy real life stories and I promise to continue to make you laugh.

Happy New Year

Friday Nights Lights

Friday's feel like that moment you see your food coming to your table at a restaurant. The joy you feel when they put that tray down and ask who ordered the Surf and Turf is one of the most amazing feelings in the world. Saturday's feel like the moment the host calls your name to tell you that your table is ready. You are excited and ready for a nice drink to wash down the bread they give you to fill you up before your meal comes.(Who Knew?) And Sunday's........Oh, Sunday's feels like that moment you get the bill and end up regretting ordering 2 Strawberry frozen daiquiris.

But, Friday nights at my house feels like the first day on a deserted island. That means "EVERY WOMAN AND CHILD FOR THEMSELVES".
Kids are running around with 1 sock and a t-shirt around their heads. There are chicken nuggets on the floor and a cheeseburger sitting on the TV stand. 4-5 empty carpi suns on the kitchen table. The TV is on Cartoon network while an iPad and iPod both play YouTube kids as it  sits at the base of the TV. The cushions from the coach are piled up in the middle of the floor and used as a safety landing device. Baby dolls and toy trains are lined up along the walls waiting their turn to go no place. You can here screams from a teenager who is yelling at his video game in his room. And ME, I'm showered and in my bed with a glass of wine and an order of lemon pepper wines while I watch "Woman who kill". By 10PM the 2 little terrors are sticky and have finally fallen asleep where ever they landed. There is no bed time and I don't even care if they change their clothes, brushed their teeth or even took a shower. We survived the week, so on Friday nights they rejoice in all of their kiddish glory.

All I want for Christmas is...........

So, It's that time of the year that we as parents all Love to Hate.

For us regular adults it's the time of the year where we start to buy Dunkin Donuts coffee instead of Starbucks. We put back that $30 throw pillow and get the one for $5.00 instead. We hold off from buying that hot new make-up palette and work with the ones we already have. We eat more meals at home and carry our lunches to work.
For most children it's also that time of the year where they pay more attention to the commercials on TV then the actual show. All the new toys are being displayed, trapping your children's brains in some sort of TV matrix causing them to yell out things like "I WANT THAT FOR CHRISTMAS" or "I CAN'T WAIT TO GET THAT FOR CHRISTMAS". I guess yelling at the TV speaks your hopes and dreams into reality. (Who Knew?)

As I watched my 3 year old yell at the TV one night claiming all the toys her heart desired I thought "Hmmm, I wonder if that works for Adults too?". So I decided to try it out.
Never Try, Never Fail..Right.

So, after I cooked dinner I asked the kids if I could watch HGTV while we ate and of course they said sure, only if they are able to watch their Ipads. Wanting to see if wishes really come true I agreed and switched from cartoon network to HGTV. The first commercial that came on was a commercial regarding some new paint and I thought maybe I should start small. So I casually yelled out "Ohh, I want that for Christmas". All my kids looked up at me as if I was going mad. The next commercial came on was for an Audi Jeep, so I again yelled out "I CAN'T WAIT FOR SANTA TO BRING ME THAT FOR CHRISTMAS".  By this time everyone has stopped eating and now I'm really getting into the swing of things. The next commercial comes on and it's a contest for a new HGTV Smart home. Like a WHOLE BRAND NEW HOUSE and I can't contain my excitement so I  jump out my chair pointing at the screen yelling "OHHHHHHH, I WANT THAT FOR CHRISTMAS TOOO".  Soon after the show resumes and I take my seat back at the table. Anthony ask me if I'm OK, Tonio tells me I need to relax and Ariana rolls her eyes and says "Mommy, you want too much".

Girl Talk

Parents.. I really want us to start paying attention to the people our children hang around as well as the things they say and do.

I remember growing up and not even begin able to lock my bedroom door. We had 1 phone in the house and it was located in my parents bedroom. After school there was no hanging out, you went straight home and helped your siblings with there homework. My father actually dropped me to school and picked me up everyday until the 9th grade. I hated it then, but I wished more dads/moms where able to take their daughters to and from school. Maybe then I wouldn't have to listen to  the conversations I hear on the train from girls ranging from ages 12-18. The things I hear would make a retired stripper cringe.

At 12-13 years old, I was still playing with my dolls and sneaking to watch The Simpons on a Sunday night. I was still having sleep overs with my friends from school. We would eat sour powers and make up dance routines until we got tired and fell asleep. My Saturday's at 16 yrs old consisted of doing chores and then going to the mall to buy cookies and a Disney glass. You know the ones that would somehow break by Wednesday night. (Who Knew??).  Don't get it twisted, I partied with the best of them by the time I was 16 yrs old, but I still remained a well rounded, respectable teenager who was deafly afraid of my father.

So it really hurts my soul to hear these young girls talk about things that are to be left private and subjects they shouldn't even be talking about in public. I'm talking about little girls having big woman conversations on the damn 4 train around 5pm on a Tuesday afternoon.  Why is it that OUR girls think it's OK to tell her 3 friends that she let a guy she likes put his hand down her pants while they kissed in the school staircase?  Why is it that a girl is proud to say "My mother doesn't care about me and I dare her to take away my phone I will punch her in the face". Why am I subjected to hear about these things on my way home?  Why do they think it's OK to talk this way in public? I know why...There is a generation of parents out there that has given up. They gave up because the system said we can't beat our children, they gave up because the people in church touch our children, they gave up because the cost of living went up and even Grandma who usually stayed home to help raise the kids has to work. Sometimes I feel to just shake these little girls. Other times I want to give them a hug. I would be so hurt to hear my child talk that way, especially in public.

I tell my son everyday that I hope he is not one of those teens on the bus/train talking loud and reckless. (Side note: If you hear or see my son acting in this manner please don't be afraid to report the incident to me.) Because I am that parent who will not give up. I demand the utmost respect from my children in private and in public and I also remind them that I fight little kids.

I know times have changed, but the one thing that should not change is the self respect our girls have for themselves and their families.

Take me back to the days when little girls went in a corner and giggled about a guy crush to her friends, then they played dress-up and organized dance routines to perform at Thanksgiving dinner.

Check List

When Tonio was diagnosed with Autism at 13 months I was overwhelmed at first. I wanted to make sure he had the best help whether it be at home or in school. 

As he grew up we faced many challenges and fought through every single one of them as a team. I actually push Tonio the hardest out of all three kids because I know he needs that extra push. I'm more attentive to his needs/wants, but I'm also more strict when it comes to him. Come to think of it my own mother treated me this same way. I don't have Autism (Maybe some other mental disorder though). But I know for sure I have MIDDLE CHILD SYNDROME.

I had to learned how to incorporate things into our daily life that will help Tonio have a productive day. One of the most important tools I use everyday is his "MORNING CHECK LIST".

I realized our morning routines where more of me yelling at kids while I run around the house in a towel, one sock and my make-up half done. Realizing that Anthony is old enough to take care of his own morning routine and Ari just goes with the follow, I knew that I need to help Tonio become more productive and independent. Getting him focused on one task in the morning was hard. So one day I sat down and complied a list of the most important things that he most complete in the morning. Once the list was made I printed it out and hung it up in the kids room.

Tonio's Check List

1. Wake Up

2. Pee, Brush teeth, Wash your face

3. Take off your pj's and place them under your pillow

4. Put on Vest, Socks, Uniform pants, Uniform shirt

5. Eat Breakfast (No Ipad, No Iphone)

6. Pack school lunch/snacks in your bookbag

7. Lotion hands, Face

8. Put on Glasses

9. Put on Shoes

10. Put on coat

11. Free Time until Mommy is ready to leave

Now the rules are simple. He is not allowed to engage in any other activities, conversations (unless it has to do with the check list) until he has completed his check list. Like I stated before, I am more hard on him but I also try to make things more easy for him. So, instead of yelling at him to get dress, finish eating his food, or to pack his bag all you hear from me is "TONIO CHECK LIST". By now I don't even have to know where he is on his check list during the morning because he is doing a great job. And if I see he is going off course I just remind him "TONIO CHECKLIST". He is more focused in the morning and I yell about 25% less. "Who Knew"  

Maybe we all need a check list to help us out during the day. And when find ourselves going off course then you can  just  yell out "CHECK LIST". LOL

Anthony Checklist

1. Get up

2. TAKE A SHOWER

3. BRUSH MY TEETH

4. TAKE ANOTHER SHOWER 

5. Iron clothes

6. Show mom

7. Iron them again

8. Brush hair

9. Show mom

10. Brush hair again

11. Pack book bag

12. Put on shoes

13. Pack book bag again

14. Make sure I have my keys, wallet

15. Ask mom for money

16. Leave for school

Ariana Checklist

1. Wake up

2. Use the potty

3. Brush my teeth

4. Go back in my bed until mommy is ready for me

5. Take off my PJ’s 

6. Put on my Uniform

7. Watch Dora until Mommy is ready to leave

Mommy Check List

1. Wake up

2. Say a pray

3. Meditate

4. Yell at Kids

5. Bath

6. Yell at kids

7. Put on clothes

8. Try not to drink WINE

9. Yell at kids to leave

10. Drink some Tea, not wine

11. Go to work

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