parentinglife

Since Kayla had been such a good girl since last weekend Ralph and I decided to reward her with toys. She got a Hannah Montana doll and this Instant Prehistoric Capsule. I guess i lost some of you when i got to the Prehistoric Capsule, this is what it looks like:

                                                          Front            and              Back

You put the capsules in hot water and wait for 35 sec for the prehistoric images to come to life.Here it is:

This was my bonding time with my stepdaughter while mother-in-law watches the baby. She had a blast identifying and pointing out which one was which and would run to show grandma and baby sister in the family room what she got.She loved it, gave me a big hug and thank you after wards for letting her do it. I’m saving the pictures so Daddy wont miss it as much. He is upset with his work schedule,he doesn’t get to see the girls or play with them specially Kayla. Daddy is working 4 pm- 2 am and when he gets home the girls are sleeping and i don’t wake him up when its time to walk Kayla to the bus stop since she already requested that i walk her.But before doing all of these we I helped her with her homework, she only has one more page to answer and i’m saving it for tomorrow.

Its amazing what little things can make children happy.

Have I mentioned that we have pets? Yippers, we have two cats, a dog and a guinea pig. The other cat Smokey is owned by my mother-in-law as well as the dog. The other Cat Oreo is Ralph’s cat. Why do i say Ralph’s cat instead of our cat? For the simple reason that Oreo is not a very social cat, he is very shy,timid and scared of people. The only person he really goes to and follows around is Ralph. He sometimes comes to me but mostly out of hunger and thirst. He thinks of me as his human feeding machine. Whenever Ralph is home he always always follows him wherever he goes and he even tries to sleep in our bed. Which annoys me,he sheds like crazy!It just drives me crazy finding clumps of fur on my side of the bed so he has been banished from ort bed but not the bedroom. He still tries to get on the bed when I’m not around but, he jumps up off the bed as soon as he hears me coming up. This morning i went in the bathroom and found a mess!!!! This is what i found on the bathroom floor.

Bits and pieces of shredded tissue.Is it not enough that i have 2 kids to look after,a house to clean,litter box changed,pets to fed and now i have to pick up the cats mess as well? He is in big trouble now and he knows it too. Oreo has been avoiding me like I’m the plague,lol. His definitely banished from the room now. I know the cat lovers may think I’m mean but Oreo has to know that he can’t do these things. I’ll eventually feel sorry for him, i always do but for now I’m still upset.

I have already expressed my dislike for winter. It cant be stopped,autumn is already here. (sigh) I get up in the morning to get my stepdaughter ready and not just that i have to take care of another mouth,an 11 month old who loves to walk around the house now and doesn’t want to be confined in her highchair early in the morning. My morning wouldn’t be so bad if i didn’t have to go outside in the chilly mornings. It cant be avoided anymore,husband cant walk her all the time in the morning to the bus stop.

Today, Kayla expressed her desire for me, yes me, to walk her to the bus stop in the morning and daddy will be the pick up person in the afternoon. She looked at me with those light brown eyes and said “please menie?” oh that’s what she calls me by the way. I couldn’t very well say no, so i just said okay, ill try my very best to be your morning walker to the bus stop. She gave me a big hug and said Thank you. I’m going to regret it in the morning when i walk out that door and  feel the sting of the cold air in my face and hands. I guess I’m just going to bundle up really good and maybe,just maybe ill loose some much needed fat around my thighs from walking.

Early morning chill here i come!!!!

Yesterday i got my yearly physical and I’m healthy as a horse. I got the TDap shot and a Tb skin test done. I had no idea i was going to feel this crappy. This morning my right arm  which had the shot hurt like hell and i could barely lift it. I’m aching all over,my joints hurt,my back and everything else even my hair hurts,lol. I felt like a sledgehammer was taken to me and pounded me like i was some meat to be tenderized. I feel so crappy and to top it off i couldn’t really rest. There is no rest when you have a 5 yr old and an 11 month old. Husband felt so bad for me as he had to work while I’m left alone with the kids. In the afternoon it got so bad,i thought i was going to pass out in front of my 5 yr old from exhaustion and drowsiness. I was battling with myself if i should lay down with the baby but what about Kayla? I went in mother in laws room but she was sleeping. I was near tears,i wanted so bad to lie down and just snooze for 30 min. I told my stepdaughter that i would be right back after i put baby sister to bed. She was so good and so behaved,she just watched television and played with her toys. As soon as my head hit the pillow i fell asleep,the baby didn’t fall asleep right away but she eventually drifted off. I woke up after 1 1/2 hr, i was horrified. Since,baby was still sleeping i went downstairs to check on Kayla she was just playing and the family room was still intact,lol. While i was upstairs my mother in law did check on her and listened to her. After my nap i was a little bit better but still sore and achy. I never want to feel like this again. The feeling of helplessness and guilt. 

Ill end this note here and write more tomorrow. My aching bones and joints need some much needed rest and ill have to wake up bright and early again tomorrow with the kids. Life,it goes on over and over again.

Today was a busy day for Ralph,me and the baby. I had my yearly physical exam, I’m healthy as a horse, went winter clothes shopping for the kids,had dinner out. I’m tired and my arm is sore from where i got my shot.Kayla is staying with us this week since her mommy sent Ralph an e-mail that the visitation will resume next week for she had a trip to go to. Of course husband was so happy to have his little girl for the weekend. We only get weekends on the 2nd week of every month,other than that she is with her mom every weekend,drop off on Friday and we pick her up on a Sunday.

When we got back from dinner i decided to have a sleep over in our bedroom. Of course Kayla was so happy since she has been wanting to sleep with baby sister. I  however was in charge of setting up the bedroom.I just pushed our bed to the side and dragged the inflatable mattress,put some comforter and blanket and tada!!!! The kids are sleeping now and husband is in bed watching the debate of McCain and Obama,while I’m here writing this post.

 At least tomorrow i don’t have to get up really early since Kayla has no school. That’s the best thing about weekends. Have a lot to do in the house tomorrow so ill be signing off now. Goodnight and may Sandman visit you..

Having come from a tropical country, i enjoy the sun and the warmth it brings. Never in my wildest dream did i really believe that one day i would be living here in America. Time like winged birds just fly by. If you don’t pay attention you will just wake up young today and old tomorrow. Summer is leaving us and i feel sad for his departure for it means that Winter is just lurking around the corner. I use to enjoy going outside in the morning but not anymore.I dread the mornings where i have to walk my stepdaughter to the bus stop. The feel of the stinging chill of the wind and the smell of winter coming make me let out a big sigh of regret. Winter will be coming around that corner. I loved winter the first time i arrived for i got the chance to see,taste and feel snow and see how the tree branches and twigs get icicles. The day we got married was like in winter wonderland.All powdery white,still and peaceful. Its time to put away all my summer stuff and take out the winter ones. The only consolation is this will be my daughters first winter where she is old enough to stay out and even get to play in the snow with big sister. Daddy will have to be the designated entertainer when it comes to playing outside. What daddy wouldn’t do for his little angel…

Summer, I thank you for coming and will look forward to feeling your warmth again.

PREGNANCY is one of the easiest part of the long journey to PARENTHOOD…How does one prepare to be a mother?a parent? This is so mind altering that you don’t even know were to begin…

Now that I’m due to give birth to our own miracle any day, my mind is blank at times,rambling with thoughts the next and uncertainty.I’m all jumbled with emotions that i cant even fathom…… How will i handle labor?the pain and everything that comes with it?…No matter how many books i have read and how many shows i have seen on the television it will never prepare me for the actual event.I’m so scared and so full of fear,for what you may ask,i do not know.

How i wish my mother and sister were here with me.Will be at my side when the time comes.How i would want them to see my baby right then and there.To be able to hold her and see my mum with her first grandchild.It is a sad thought that they wont be here but i know they will be with me in spirit.

Prayers is what i need and i know for sure that God will protect me and my unborn child.He will make way for us to be perfectly alright.

Yesterday i was miffed, upset, angry and annoyed at husband. Why you may ask? For the simple reason that he allowed Kayla to sleep in our bed instead of her bedroom.

Let me start by explaining. First of all Kayla is 5 yrs old and she needs to sleep in her own bed and in her own room. We decided that we were going to strictly enforce that she sleeps in her own bed by herself when school started.  She has been doing great but would regress back to wanting someone to sleep with her when daddy is home and after she comes back from her mommy’s.

Its not that I’m heartless its just i want her to really get use to her sleeping alone first and then we can have a sleep over in our bed on weekends. What got me upset last night was that husband didn’t ask if she could sleep in our bed, he just told me that she will be sleeping in our bed. I kind of felt like,what am i? Don’t i have a say in this? The other reason why i didn’t want her sleeping there was that Ralph has to get out of bed at around 5:30 am and get ready for work. I didn’t want to take a chance that she might wake up and then starts crying because she doesn’t want daddy to go to work. 

I slept in my other daughter’s room on the floor. I was so upset that while watching the movie “another Cinderella story” i cried. Crying out my frustration,annoyance and anger helped.  At times like this makes me want to see my mother and just talk to her and tell her my problems..Still i went to bed a little upset.

 Waking up at the sound of the alarm in the morning really gets to me, i have to scramble to find the clock to turn it off so not to wake up the baby. Went in our room and shook him awake, i couldn’t resist saying a parting shot 

“good-luck getting ready,i hope she doesn’t wake up“

She woke up after her daddy left,seeing that he wasn’t in bed she went searching for me and the baby. At this point the baby was already on the floor with me, i took her out of the crib after i woke up Ralph so she could snooze in my arm while we wait for the alarm to go off. Thank goodness Kayla didn’t have any meltdowns that morning about getting ready for school,she normally doesn’t but with kids you never know.

When daddy got home he bore gifts. He doesn’t really like to apologize and he knew that i was upset so he bought me M&M peanut. That melted me right away,lol  he knows  my weakness. He didn’t have to say the words sorry,i know him enough already. I’m working on that though,someday it will get easier for him to admit HE IS WRONG AND I’M ALWAYS RIGHT!!!!

My stepdaughter has been a school bus rider since the school opening.That entails,walking her to the bus stop in the morning and picking her up at the bus stop in the afternoon. There was a time where i forgot to pick her up,thank God for mother in law who checked on me if i had left. I was in such a hurry that i literally flew down the stairs without any shoes of flip-flops on! I didn’t even say to my mother in law to please listen to the baby,i just flew like a bat out of hell.I ran on the sidewalk and didn’t even feel the small stones ,seeds and twigs digging in my feet. All i kept saying was

oh my god,oh my god,oh my god,oh my god.    Over and over again.

My step daughter was being walked home by our neighbour whose daughter is the same age as my stepdaughter. I Thanked her profusely and just hugged  my stepdaughter to my chest. I was so wracked with guilt. The day before that i already talked to my mother in law and husband about talking to the other parents about walking a child home if the parent is not there to pick them up. And bam!It happened to me,lol.

A few days after my incident the other girls mother was not there to pick up her daughter. The brother came barrelling on the sidewalk and saying he is walking her home.The bus driver was hesitant but she let her go .The next day was when the bus driver called us parents and talked to us.We then decided that we will walk whoever is not picked up by the parent. And the bus driver will just let that child go and not take her back to school.It was settled then. We will look after each other’s child.

Today,Tamara our neighbor was not picked up by either her dad or mom so i told the bus driver that i would walk her home. We went to her house and knocked but no one was home so i took her home with us which is convenient coz our backyards are actually back to back. I called my husband and ask him to call Tamara’s mother and tell her that we have her and not to worry and to just pick her up at the house. We were almost a few yards from the door when Tamara’s dad pulled over beside us.He was so apologetic and i told him not to worry,his wife did it for me before and we already had an arrangement about that.. So we both told the girls that if I’m not there to pick up my stepdaughter she is to go with Tamara and vise versa.

Heard parents car pooling there kids to school well, now we are officially bus pick up pooling parents.

MONTH OF APRIL

A few weeks ago we got a letter from the mail that my husband Ralph Schifano is nominated for Wilmington’s Employee of the year..Since it was a free dinner i jumped at the opportunity to dress up and go out with my husband.

 There were about 45 others nominated for the said Award.

• 1st place will be given $1,000
• 2nd place $750 and
• 3rd place $500.

I told Ralph that who knows he might win,who wouldn’t want the extra cash right?To cut the story short while we were on our way to the banquet Ralph told me we were very low on funds and that he has to pack lunch because we are that low on cash.I told him i know honey,but don’t worry God will always provide. The banquet was nice it gave me a chance to mingle with Ralph friends and superiors and we picked a good table to were there was a lot of jokes tossed around and at each other.The food was good, i specially liked the chicken and the baked salmon. For dessert i had this sinfully delicious chocolate cake that just melts in your mouth, yum yum……….

Then it was time to call the winners for the employees of the year. Two people tied for 3rd place..and then when they called for second place the man started reading as to why this person was nominated and why he won and  i realized right then and there it was my husband he was talking about.I had this shocked looked on my face and turn around and said to Ralph”honey thats you” he had the same shocked look on his face.We never expected anything. I was so proud of my husband when he got up to recieve his award

 Im so proud of you honey!!!!We went there for the free dinner and a chance to get dressed and just go out,  we came home with an award. Like i always said to my husband :

GOD WILL ALWAYS PROVIDE. LIFE MAY NOT BE EASY BUT WE WILL SURVIVE.