Been busy, busy, busy!
1. Miss Universe Pageant is to Puerto Rico as Super Bowl is to U.S.A.
My two eldest daughters and I did the Miss Universe annual ritual complete with Chips, Dip and Soda. Usually there are more people involved (like my siblings) but given that they are currently not on the island, this year it was just me and the girls.
So we each have pen and paper (this year crayons) and we write the top 20, then the top ten, finally we each pick the first runner up and the winner.
Both Ericka & Sara were rooting for Japan, I was rooting for Puerto Rico. I WON!!!
Well actually she won, but it's nice that our little island is once again in the public eye.
It's not rocket science I know, but still I enjoy seeing people from my island succeed in sports, art, music or beauty pageants.
2. CLICK
Went to watch it on my daughters birthday. I'd never seen my 8 yr. old cry with such feeling. Although I couldn't enjoy the whole film (lots of bathroom breaks and arguments over soda & popcorn) what I did watch I liked a lot. It's not what you would normally expect from an Adam Sandler film, but in my personal opinion it is a worthwhile film to see, and it has a great message....it's all about the little things.
;oDD
Monday, July 31, 2006
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
It has been a rough week (aren't they mostly). Some highlights and some aarrgghh- does- it- ever- end, moments.
Highlights:
1- Going to the movies (rarely can, it's so expensive) and watching Superman Returns. We all enjoyed it, although my four year old son kept asking when Spiderman was going to appear (not till next summer, in his own movie), and where did the X Men go (soon to a DVD near you).
2- Doing all of my laundry. It's a rarerity to see the clothes hampers completely empty.
3- Quick and tasty cooking. I have to thank a couple of appliances and products for this. So Thanks to: George Foreman's Grill, the microwave oven, and Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (90 seconds and it's done).
4- Holidays. They are a great way to catch up on household work.
5- Weekly Fieldtrip to Local Bookstore. Inexpensive way to spend quality time with kids, promote reading and interaction with others of similar age, and gets everyone out of the house.
6- Baby Shower at cousin's house. The kids got all dirty and sweaty and had tons of fun. It's great to see that what was once an all female event has gradually turned into a family, couples event. Lots of men and kids at the Baby Shower and everyone had a blast. Progress, one of Life's little miracles.
7- My four year old daughter "washing dishes", the fact that she did it voluntarily. For a four year old she did pretty good. I had to rewash some things, but considering her age, she did great. She's so amazing and helpful, smart and caring. One must remember to promote that behavior.
8- My two eldest daughters philosophizing over Superman and how clueless everyone in the movie is. Hello, don't they realize that whenever Clark is around, Superman isn't and vice versa. Gee, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that there was no Clark and no Superman for five years, Clark comes back, and what do you know, there's Superman again.(If everything were that obvious...)
Now some aarrgghh-does-it-ever-end moments:
1- TIRED. No matter how many breaks I take between chores, I'm eternally tired.
2- The temper tantrum my son threw at local bookstore when it was time to leave. He's a child, he's four, he has yet to find a productive way to channel his inner diva. I can handle all of that, he'll outgrow it (hopefully soon!). What I cannot handle is Non Parental Units (NPU) and some Parental Units (PU) staring at me while my child has a tantrum. The way I see it (my opinion, you can agree to disagree), if I were to spank him or firmly reprimand him some would think I was a bad parent for taking that type of action. On the other hand, if I just ignore it and try to draw his attention to something else, some NPU's and PU's stare as if I were the worst parent in the world for not doing something about his "bad behavior". In the word's of Eleanor Roosevelet "You're damned if you do, damned if you don't".
3- My eldest daughter's (Ericka) constant whining and her attempts at negotiating EVERYTHING. Are all eleven year olds as proficient at whining, manupulating and negotiating as mine, or do I have the exception? I love her to death, she's brilliant, funny, and very creative, but does fingernails on a chalkboard bring any images to mind. Well that's the feeling. Everyday. Constantly.
4- Loneliness. Yup, sometimes I feel that being a single parent is equal to having a highly contagious disease, or like kicking small dogs for the hell of it ( I would never do that by the way). It would be nice to be just Diana more often, and talk about other things besides SpongeBob, Teen Titans, and every other show on Cartoon Network, Noggin, Nickelodeon and The Disney Channel.
In conclusion, if we refer to the previous lists there are more highlights than aarrgghh-does-it-ever-end-moments, so in actuality it wasn't such a bad week.
;oDD
Highlights:
1- Going to the movies (rarely can, it's so expensive) and watching Superman Returns. We all enjoyed it, although my four year old son kept asking when Spiderman was going to appear (not till next summer, in his own movie), and where did the X Men go (soon to a DVD near you).
2- Doing all of my laundry. It's a rarerity to see the clothes hampers completely empty.
3- Quick and tasty cooking. I have to thank a couple of appliances and products for this. So Thanks to: George Foreman's Grill, the microwave oven, and Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (90 seconds and it's done).
4- Holidays. They are a great way to catch up on household work.
5- Weekly Fieldtrip to Local Bookstore. Inexpensive way to spend quality time with kids, promote reading and interaction with others of similar age, and gets everyone out of the house.
6- Baby Shower at cousin's house. The kids got all dirty and sweaty and had tons of fun. It's great to see that what was once an all female event has gradually turned into a family, couples event. Lots of men and kids at the Baby Shower and everyone had a blast. Progress, one of Life's little miracles.
7- My four year old daughter "washing dishes", the fact that she did it voluntarily. For a four year old she did pretty good. I had to rewash some things, but considering her age, she did great. She's so amazing and helpful, smart and caring. One must remember to promote that behavior.
8- My two eldest daughters philosophizing over Superman and how clueless everyone in the movie is. Hello, don't they realize that whenever Clark is around, Superman isn't and vice versa. Gee, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that there was no Clark and no Superman for five years, Clark comes back, and what do you know, there's Superman again.(If everything were that obvious...)
Now some aarrgghh-does-it-ever-end moments:
1- TIRED. No matter how many breaks I take between chores, I'm eternally tired.
2- The temper tantrum my son threw at local bookstore when it was time to leave. He's a child, he's four, he has yet to find a productive way to channel his inner diva. I can handle all of that, he'll outgrow it (hopefully soon!). What I cannot handle is Non Parental Units (NPU) and some Parental Units (PU) staring at me while my child has a tantrum. The way I see it (my opinion, you can agree to disagree), if I were to spank him or firmly reprimand him some would think I was a bad parent for taking that type of action. On the other hand, if I just ignore it and try to draw his attention to something else, some NPU's and PU's stare as if I were the worst parent in the world for not doing something about his "bad behavior". In the word's of Eleanor Roosevelet "You're damned if you do, damned if you don't".
3- My eldest daughter's (Ericka) constant whining and her attempts at negotiating EVERYTHING. Are all eleven year olds as proficient at whining, manupulating and negotiating as mine, or do I have the exception? I love her to death, she's brilliant, funny, and very creative, but does fingernails on a chalkboard bring any images to mind. Well that's the feeling. Everyday. Constantly.
4- Loneliness. Yup, sometimes I feel that being a single parent is equal to having a highly contagious disease, or like kicking small dogs for the hell of it ( I would never do that by the way). It would be nice to be just Diana more often, and talk about other things besides SpongeBob, Teen Titans, and every other show on Cartoon Network, Noggin, Nickelodeon and The Disney Channel.
In conclusion, if we refer to the previous lists there are more highlights than aarrgghh-does-it-ever-end-moments, so in actuality it wasn't such a bad week.
;oDD
Sunday, June 25, 2006
So Begins the Journey
As a working single parent with four (4) children between the ages of four and eleven, two of which are twins (the four year olds), having an ongoing need to connect with others through the written word, and among other things,writing T.I.P.S. (tipsnewsletter.blogspot.com) for some time and hitting a no flow stage in my writing about customer service, finding that I had other things to comment on and get of my chest, having a profound conversation on my life versus his with my older brother, and needing a way to decompress from daily pressures, frustations and life in general... I've decided to keep a "journal" of my life adventures or misadventures.
In the process I'll hopefully meet and hear from likeminded people in my situation, or one similar, who will be willing to provide input, anecdotes, some support, and the knowledge that although I may think I am completely and utterly alone, that indeed I am not. That there is a world out there of single parents who just like me are on the verge of something great!
So feel free to join me and be sure to look around every corner, you never know where you'll find your second wind.
" Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." (anonymous)
;oDD
In the process I'll hopefully meet and hear from likeminded people in my situation, or one similar, who will be willing to provide input, anecdotes, some support, and the knowledge that although I may think I am completely and utterly alone, that indeed I am not. That there is a world out there of single parents who just like me are on the verge of something great!
So feel free to join me and be sure to look around every corner, you never know where you'll find your second wind.
" Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." (anonymous)
;oDD
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