I remember when I was an exhausted new mom bringing my new born home. I knew this time would soon pass and I’d miss the late night feedings and diaper changes.
However, never in a BILLION years did I think that I would still be waking up several times a night with my EIGHT year old. Momma is exhausted. Brandon has been having bad sleeping patterns for quite some time now, for some reason he is terrified at night. He sometimes tries to stay up all night just to “skip night time”. I have been trying many different methods to try to get him to go fall asleep effortlessly and stay asleep.
1. Melatonin: Melatonin occurs naturally in our body, I have tried out this natural sleep aid and it works wonders whenever I am changing Brandon out of his normal sleep routine. He falls asleep faster. melatonin helps control your daily sleep-wake cycles.
https://www.sleep.org/articles/melatonin/
2. Sleep Meditation: I love meditation, I helps me feel calmer and more at ease. I thought this might help Brandon with his bed-time anxiety. This video is about an hour long but Brandon is fast asleep 10-15 minutes into it. You can even read the rave reviews from others who have tried it.
https://youtu.be/k4oS680-Dnw
3. Lavender Bath: Lavender essential oil has natural relaxation properties, I use 3-5 drops in Brandon’s bath water or bubble bath and the aroma helps him get relaxed and stay that way into bed time. You can even find lavender scented body soaps and lotions for your children if you wanted to take this step further.
4. Night Light: Brandon used to insist on having his light on or the tv on because he hated to be in a completely dark room. I invested in a clip on night light for his bed. It is adjustable and gives him enough light where he feels comfortable but isn’t too bright to the point that it interrupts his sleep.
5. Evening/Bed-time routine: I am a firm believer in routines. Brandon thrives in a routine driven environment. He likes to know when things are happening, and what’s happening next. The most important part of having a routine is sticking to it. I made an afterschool schedule for Brandon; I keep this on my fridge. Some days will be different, like weekends, but adjust accordingly and try to ease into big changes.
6. “Comfy” bedroom space: If you create a safe and comfortable space for your child, they will want to be there. I make sure Brandon is super comfortable in his space before I send him off to bed. I like to be sure all his stuffed animals are nearby (this may be a different safe toy for your child”. I also make sure the temperature is ok for Brandon. Comfort feels different for all kids, make sure you find the right one and keep it this way every night.
*Every night we read a bed time story- make sure it is a story long enough to make it until he/she is fast asleep, and something he/she will be interested to hear about. Brandon loves to ask a lot of questions while I’m reading, this is also good boding time for us.
*Also – I try to make sure to tell Brandon I love him every night and remind him of how special he is !
Hope these tips help—What are some of your bedtime routine tips ?
I haven’t done a Mommy Monday’s. This one is a little different. I am having some of the hardest days of my parenthood lately. My son is at the age where he is asking questions about why his parents are no longer together.
..Not the easiest conversation to have, especially when there are so many parts; many of them too complex to explain to him right now. His father and I have gone our separate ways and he is married now and between them including Brandon, they have 5 kids. Brandon enjoys his time there and I love that he has siblings to keep him company. However when he comes home he yearns for that family dynamic and as he likes to point out often “it’s just us”. It hurts my feelings a lot because I am trying my absolute hardest to do what I can so he feels fulfilled and complete. Just last night through tear filled eyes he told me “ I wish we had a dad here to protect us” this was tough, but I reassured him that Mommy will always protect him and our home. It’s hard being a single mother, period. It’s harder with little to no financial help and it’s even harder when people are constantly asking you when you’ll be getting married or when you’ll have more kids. I want all of those things, I really do, but I can’t force them to happen. I am just exhausted with trying to live up to the expectations of what others think my life should look like right now. Some days are harder than other’s but I am determined to make things better.
I am determined to live a happy life, even if it is “just us”.
Last Month Brandon and I visited the NY Transit museum in Brooklyn; which was super cool and interesting! Brandon loved it and he was also able to pick up some trains for his wooden train collection. We saw a ton of old trains cars, turnstiles and buses. If your son or daughter loves trains as much as my son this is definitely and trip to make!
The following weekend we took the D train to Madison Square Garden to go see the Paw Patrol show. I loved this interactive show, all the kids and parents were on their feet singing and dancing! The garden was nice enough to have kids meals for just $5.50 the day of the show. I am so happy we made the choice to go and have fun on an early Sunday morn
For the New year one of my resolutions was to spend more quality time with my son. Yes I see him 90% of the time but I wanted to start creating memories with him. B loves trains so I decided to take him to the Botanical Gardens in the Bronx, they had a mini Thomas show and we were able to explore the Garden on a lovely Saturday morning.
The show was quick which I loved because kids can sometimes get a little tired sitting still for so long.
Here are some pictures of our Botanical Gardens Adventure
** I wrote this back in October but for some reason it took me until now to post** October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. like many Women AND Men I am a Domestic Violence survivor. This is something only my close friends and family know about, but as I look back I know it’s something that many people suspected. I was only 14 years old. A freshman in high school, excited about what this new stage in my life would bring. Along with all these new things came a new boyfriend. I remember we spent the entire summer together before school started, I was head over heels, thought he was so cute and perfect and that I was so lucky that a guy like him could like me. My school was a small school; so small that we only had 4 class rooms within a larger High school. of course my boyfriend attended the larger high school. Although my classes were no less than 10 feet apart, and no where near any of his classes, he insisted on walking me to class……every single class. During periods he would sometimes come and watch me through the class room windows. He wanted me to keep my coat on at all times. He thought everyone was attracted to me. If a guy were to smile or say hello he would get furious. Very soon, things escalated and he started getting physical.
I had never even been in a fight before, and now the boy that I thought loved me was punching me in the face, pulling my hair, grabbing me by the neck and scolding me like he was my father. It was awful and I didn’t know what to do. I became a hermit, wouldn’t say hello to anyone , barely spoke to anyone at all and I allowed him to control me. I never told anyone about what was going on, I felt for some reason that these things were my fault, I was even afraid to lose him because I thought he would change for another girl and I would miss out on the great guy I thought he would be. It’s now over a decade later and this time in my life still affects me. I often still try to make sense of this. I never had a support system during this time and it’s partly My fault because I never spoke out about what was going on. Only 1 person ever stood up for me and I love and appreciate him to this day. I feel it’s my duty to tell even a little of my story so that people know it’s NOT ok. Someone that loves you will never try to purposely hurt you. We often think that jealousy is a sign of someone caring, but when it is met with anger and manipulation, it is never good. I am not writing this for anyone to feel sorry for me. I am doing it to help bring awareness. That friend of yours that’s in love but always has a busted lip, a bruised arm and is not being their old self. Sometimes just asking “do you need help” could save a life. If you find yourself in this situation, ask for help, a friend, family member, co-worker there are even Domestic Violence hotlines.
Call 1-800-621-HOPE for the New York City Domestic Violence Hotline, or call 311 and ask for the Domestic Violence Hotline. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Hi again everyone! Please meet this week’s Mommy Monday (On a Tuesday) 27 year old, or as she would say ”27 years young” Ashley Campbell. Mommy to 3 year old Solomon.
What is your favorite part of being a Mommy?
I love every part of being a mother honestly. One thing I can say I truly cherish is when I hear Solomon open his bedroom door in the middle of the night/morning and climbs into bed with us and says “mommy, I want to cuddles”. He then lay’s down and I hold him until he goes back to sleep. When he wakes up, he does this thing where he puts his hand on my cheek. When I open my eyes, he is staring at me like I am the most beautiful thing in the world. It’s moments like these you have to cherish because there will be a time when cuddles turn into “mom don’t kiss me in front of my friends, its embarrassing” lol
Can you give other moms any parenting tips or tricks?
Honestly, I’m the type of parent that doesn’t like to tell other parents how to parent. Everyone has their own way of raising their child/children. You can always put your 2 cents in, but people are going to do what they feel is right for their situation. One thing I can say is, a lot of the time Solomon gets extremely rowdy around bedtime. He jumps, runs, climbs walls, does back flips (exaggeration at its finest), and it’s mainly done because he’s tired. So what we’ve been doing, instead of him being extremely active in the house, when I get off of work, we take him to the park, pool, or allow him to ride his bike until he is ALMOST wiped out, which takes about an hour/hour and a half. We then cook dinner OR while we’re outside playing, dinner will be cooking, he will eat, take a 20 minute bath, and the majority of the time he knocks out. Now I said MAJORITY, lol, it doesn’t work every single night but it helps. He’s at the age where he’s afraid of the dark, so we have to sometimes take extra measures, but for the most part, we have it under control.
What is your favorite go to meal?
My favorite go to meal would have to be Hamburger Helper. It’s not all that healthy, but when mommy is beat from working 9 hours a day, sometimes, hamburger helper is the most simple, filling, meal I could tolerate.
Are you a single parent? If so what is the hardest part about this ?-- if not; what is your co-parenting style? How do you find time for each other and yourself?
I am in a relationship and he works very well with Solomon, so I wouldn’t say that I am a single mother, but in some peoples’ eyes, a “boyfriend” still means that you are single lol. There are times when he and I butt heads for some of the things that Solomon does every now and then. I am a big softy when it comes to my baby boy. He’s the only child and he literally turned my life around, so when it comes to certain things, I am a little lenient with him. Now my boyfriend feels that if I discipline Solomon, that I should stand my ground. This means, time outs and no kisses afterwards. He doesn’t have any kids of his own yet (trying to work on that), but sometimes I don’t think he understands that hearing your child cry really hurts sometimes. I can say I could be a little bit; more strict, but Solomon is at an age where he’s still trying to completely understand discipline. For the most part, as a family, we get along, especially for Solly’s sake. Some nights I will cook dinner and he will bathe Solomon and put him to bed other nights he will cook dinner and I will put Solly to bed. He mainly does all laundry and the bathroom is my area of expertise, so it works out very well.
Now time for each other can be rather hard. We don’t really have a baby sitter that we could go to for alone time so the majority of the time Solomon comes along. Every now and then, my mother will watch him so we can enjoy a night out, but these days that’s very rare. When it comes to hanky panky time, lol, we put Solomon to bed first and cherish the moments we have to ourselves. It’s not very much time, but for now, it’ll do.
Can you share a story of your choice with other Mommy’s out there?
This will be rather deep. Back in 2009/2010, I got into a relationship with a man who was in the military. We eventually got married shortly after. He traveled a lot due to him being in the Navy and throughout that year or so; so much had happened in our relationship as well as his career. He was dishonorably discharged from the military due to a case having to do with a man being stabbed in the neck. That dishonorable discharge came with a struggle of him finding a job. We were living in Cleveland, OH, with one of his best friends, his wife and their child. We were literally struggling. One night we went to the strip club on a double date with the couple, and I’m looking at the girls on stage dancing, and a light bulb popped up over my head, “I’m going to start dancing”. It was something that I had discussed with him before because we were literally broke. He agreed that I should do it to make ends meet, so I went through with it. Something I thought that was going to be short lived, turned into something that lasted for about 4 years. I put my all into stripping, constant partying, excessive drinking, working 12 hour shifts,that it eventually broke us up (among other things).
I met my sons’ father through a fellow dancer of mine and he was rather heavy in the streets. He had a great personality, great heart, and he took care of his family as well as myself.One thing he couldn’t do, however, was stay out of jail. I had someone tell me one time that he and I were “a trap niggaz dream” but at this point in my life, I had no choice but to accept this “dream” and live it out. UNTIL, dun dun duuuuuuunnnnnnnn *dramatic music* one night, I threw up. In the back of my mind, I’m thinking it was from all the drinking that I had the night before, but when I took the initiative to take a pregnancy test, it was positive. I didn’t know what the hell to do, I was scared and so was my sons’ father. I continued to dance after I found out, and it was like everyone knew. I stopped drinking hard liquor and started sipping wine, my boobs were freaking HUGE, so huge that a rumor began that I had gotten my breasts done. Shortly after, I found out that my sons father was cheating on me (you know how that goes) and I felt like I was down and out. I called my mother, and told her that I wanted to moved back home to Atlanta, she welcomed me with open arms. I went through my entire pregnancy mainly with the support of my mother and a guy that I had met while dancing. My sons’ father went to prison shortly after the New Year in 2013 and guess who was arrested with him? My pregnant ass (sometimes we just don’t learn). I went to visit him and his family around that time, I had not seen him or really talked to him, but I was really close with his family. We were riding around being followed by undercover officers when we were stopped and dramatically surrounded by police cars with guns drawn and him saying “DO NOT MOVE!! They will shoot us”. Now my 5 month pregnant ass had no business being in that scenario.
I’m going to fast forward to the birth of my son now, lol!
He was so beautiful, it’s like nothing in the world mattered but him. I knew at this point, I had business to take care of. His father was in jail and the man that I was dealing with lived in a different state. A month and a half after his birth, I took him back to Cleveland and started dancing again. I had a different mindset, even though it wasn’t a different career path.
It took me a while to realize my worth. Another heartbreak, and move back to Atlanta (my son was 1 at the time) with my mom for me to realize that I needed to WAKE THE HELL UP, not only for my life, but also for my sons life. My change didn’t happen overnight, there were a lot of factors that lead me to decide the best path for my son and I. I eventually stopped dancing, and went to cosmetology school. While I was in school, I was offered an internship at a Human Resources Department where I was hired on as The Administrative Assistant of Human Resources. I worked during the day and went to school at night. There came a point where I eventually dropped out of cosmetology school and chose to put my all into my current position. I was involved in so much there that it prepared me for the role I am in now at a University working in their pathology dept. This department studies different diseases as well as works to find cures for them. I work daily, side by side with doctors/veterinarian’s, lab technicians, scientists, etc, while they work extremely hard to find the cures for the diseases that we have to face as human beings and I love being a part of that. I can absolutely say that I have been extremely blessed to come out of that situation a better woman and a better mother. It made me stronger, wiser, and more appreciative of life itself. I look back at my life like “Damn Ashley, you did it! You made it out! ALIVE!!” My son is 3 now and his father is still in prison. I am very open with my boyfriend about my past and he accepts me as I am. I’m glad he met the “goal oriented” Ashley and not the “exotic dancer. He absolutely deserves this version of me, they both do J
My advice to all you mommy’s out there is NEVER EVER GIVE UP ON YOURSELF!!! I’ve been through a lot more than this brief story could possibly tell, and I am gracious that I never gave up on myself or my child.
I hope this story inspired you as much as it inspired me. Thanks again to Ashley for being brave enough to share her story with me.
Hello Everyone, Please meet This weeks #MommyMonday Adelis, Age 26. She is the busy Mother of two boys age 9 and 3
What is your favorite part of being a Mommy?
There is never a dull moment when I'm with the boys, both of them are funny and witty!
Can you give other moms and parenting tips or tricks?
A word of advice would be to always keep your word, whether good or bad. Children don't forget when you say you're going to do something, if it's buying something for them or punishing them. [This is my] way of teaching them to be honest.
What is your favorite go to meal?
My go to meal is rice & beans. It takes like 15 minutes!
Are you a single parent? If so what is the hardest part about this?
I am a single parent; the hardest part is finding time for myself.
Can you share a story of your choice with other Mommy’s out there?
My oldest son got in trouble at school for fighting and when speaking to him about it my youngest son overheard and asked who his brother was fighting with. He then told his brother that it isn't nice to fight your friend. The only person he should be fighting is his little brother!
When it comes to co-parenting it's seems like the obstacles are never ending. It can be tough to get along when Parents have different views and opinions about situations that directly affect their child together. As expected, when two people go their separate ways they meet other people or re-kindle an old flame. One thing to be kept in mind is that things are much different now, the dating game has changed because now you come with a child, or children. When dating someone you now have to think about when is the right time to bring this person around your son or daughter, how soon is too soon? How serious are you about this person? Will you introduce this person as your friend or as your boyfriend/girlfriend? You also have to take your child's other parents feelings into consideration. Obviously this shouldn't be the driving force behind your decision but you should at least keep the other parent in the loop; not about details of your relationship but how this new step in your life will directly affect your child together.
The most important thing is communication on both ends.
If you would like to know when your child is going to be around someone new, be clear about that. Let the other parent know before it gets to that point. Having this conversation can prevent arguments in the future.
You should feel secure about this relationship. You should see a future with this person, if not; there is no need to have this person around someone as important and your child.I like to think of it as how I thought when I was a teenager. I wouldn't bring every single guy I was dating around my parents, only the special ones; the ones I believed at the time were deserving of their time.
I asked several people about this topic and here were some of the responses I received. The feedback ranges from single parents, non-single parents, step parents and adults with parents potentially dipping into the dating scene”
"The sooner the better, if my child doesn't like or feel comfortable around this person they're getting the boot"
"If my Mother were dating someone new I would like for her to wait a minimum of 1 year, I'm not interested in meeting her boo. I'm interested in meeting a man she's developed a long lasting bond with"
" I met my step children 6-12 months after I began seeing my husband, he introduced me as his new lady"
"I would be willing to meet my Mom’s boyfriend whenever she was ready, she deserves it"
" I need 6 months minimum to establish a trusting relationship with anyone"
"I am hard when it comes to my son, 1 year minimum and he will be introduced as my friend, I need my son to know that it takes work to win Mommy’s heart and multiple men will never be in and out of his life, I need him to learn the value of a woman and how she should respect herself and her child"
"After 6 months I will have a conversation with my children and their father and let them know that I have established something that feels long term. When everyone including my significant other is ready, that is the right time"
There seems to be no right or wrong way regarding this touchy subject. A child's age is a big factor when it comes to this situation, a 5 year old may get quickly attached to a person who may not be around for long and a teenager may not be willing to give this new person a chance at all. Taking things too slow may discourage your new partner and make them feel as if you don't see a future with them and moving too quickly may take the other parent and your child by surprise. Set boundaries, set expectations and come to a common ground that everyone feels good about. Maybe your significant other would be willing to meet your child's other parent in order to make them feel more comfortable. It won't be easy at first but eventually things will get better and you will find what works for you and your blended family. I know it can be a beautiful thing when personal feelings are put aside and parents and step parents come together for the child's best interest. That's what matters after all.
Do you have any advice for other parents that may be going through this ? Email me =)
Most Mothers would agree with me when I say that being a Mommy is the most rewarding job. Many can also agree that it is easy to lose yourself due to all the day to day activities it takes to be super mom; working, cooking, cleaning; we sometimes forget about ourselves and that's never a good thing, I am a victim of this. Whether it’s skipping the salon, not getting that mani/pedi that I desperately need, barely hitting the gym or simply having alone time to enjoy a glass of wine.
How can we as moms make time for us? We don't have to be the most glam mom ever but we should at least look put together. I struggle with this because sometimes I have only ten minutes to get myself together.
Here are a few ideas:
Get a Planner-
This seems a little old school but I truly like to see things in black and white that are coming up. Make it fun, get a cute one that you can throw in your bag, the New year is vastly approaching and this can be a little stocking stuffer for you and other mommies you know. Try this one HERE. If his isn't your style and you're more tech savvy than I will ever be, use the calendar on your phone and set up alerts for yourself. Block out 30 minutes a day for "me time".
Find a gym with a childcare service-
I ran into my cousin while going to pick up my son. He was on his way to the gym, he told me he loves it because it's open 24 hours. I said that's great, but I'm a mom that's also 24 hrs I don't always have a child care option. He said they have child care! I was super surprised and this is genius because not all gyms offer this. I will be setting up a membership soon and hope it works for me, #MeTime
Master the 5 minute face-
I thoroughly enjoy putting on a full face of makeup on the weekends but that can sometimes take 30-60 minutes (a lot I know). On days where I only have a few minutes to get it together I do my five minute face. Here's what you'll need.
1. Your favorite tinted moisturizer or light weight foundation
2. Concealer (optional, but I NEED it)
3. Mascara
4. liquid lipstick
5. Blush
I will be doing a blog post just for this very soon :)
Seek help
We all need a little extra help sometimes, get together with other moms and offer to babysit the kids for the night, I saw this in a movie called the single moms club, seems doable !
Don't ever feel guilty for needing time for yourself, we are better moms when we are energized and when we have had a little break, sometimes we just need to recharge for a bit!
The First day of school 5
Five tips for preparing kids to go back to school
1. Before school starts, begin your back to school routine:
Routines can take a little while to get used to especially after the long summer break. Starting your routine a week or two before school starts will ensure a seamless transition into back to school mode. This includes scheduled dinner times if possible, “Homework time”; before school this can just be some educational games, 30 minutes of play time, bath, story time and finally bedtime ( this is just an example) all families are different but find what works for you and stick to it. The sooner you get this routine down the better.
2. Read some books about School.
This can differ depending on the age of your child. I find that when I read themed books to Brandon for birthdays and holidays he gets excited for the day, so this should work for school too!
These are some of my recommendations for books
Amelia Bedelia’s First day of school $8.99 (Hard cover) pick it up HERE
Clifford’s First School Day $2.79,Pick it up HERE
Appleville Elementary #1:First day $4.99, Pick it up HERE
Ready Freddy # 13: One Hundred days of school $5.99, Pick it up HERE
Black Lagoon Adventured#13: Back to school fright from the black lagoon $3.99, Pick it up HERE
p.s Scholastic has a back to school sale going on! USE COUPON CODEBTS2515 For 25% off
3. Make school supplies shopping fun
There are tons of sales right now for cool back packs, themed stationary etc.
My Brandon loves trains as you may already know, so I got these cool items from the MTA Museum store HERE
Get the back pack HERE its on sale !
4. Label everything!
I hope I'm not alone when I say that when I spend money on things I hate when my son comes back from school and it's nowhere to be found, or when my son comes back with another child's item, I feel for the label-less mom.
You can get these super cool water proof dish washer proof stick on labels from inch bug.
Brandon started daycare at just 10 weeks old, so I was the crazy mom with labels and lists and instructions and I used some of these labels to put on his pacifier and on his bottles. If you don't want to use the sticky labels they also offer these orbit labels that you can put around baby bottles, sippy cups and regular cups. The I'm telling you it's totally worth it. They have some pre-printed names or if you have a less common name you can create your own!
You can get adhesive labels HERE (thank me later) http://www.inchbug.com
Or Orbit label’s HERE
5. Lunch shopping
Many schools offer lunch, but some kids either don't like the lunch or like a little something extra.
Take some time the week before school starts and get your grocery list in order to include back to school snacks that your child will love.
For me that's
• Sandwich supplies
•Tomatoes
•Cheddar fish
•Fruit snacks
•Crackers
•Water
Make this easier for you by getting a Bento style lunch box for your little one, this keeps everything neat and easy to portion and package. You can get one HERE.
Hope some of these tips helped, I would love to hear how you prepare for back to school. Leave a comment or email me your first day of school 5!
Exhausted. With so much; life, motherhood, adulthood, work, all these responsibilities. They catch up with you sometimes. I have just had so much on my plate lately that I just don't know how to handle it. Even just picking up around the house. I feel like I don't have time for. Taking care of myself has become its own chore. I need to take time out to just take care of Scarla. My sister told me I've just been looking tired lately, I know that can't be a good look lol. My son has been misbehaving a lot lately and I don't know what's triggering it or what I can do to stop it or even make it better. He actually reminds me a lot of me as a child, self directed and strong minded. The big difference is that I pretty much behaved for the most part, I was more naughty than out right being bad and trying to get away with talking back regularly. I am also wanting to go back to school, for something that interests me a little more, such as Fashion Management Merchandising and International Trade and Marketing, more to come on that. With all this recent and on going stress I have started to practice meditation. I'm no expert but I have already benefited so much from meditation, there are even some guided meditation playlists on Spotify that helped me out when I didn't know how to start. I haven't felt so relaxed in such a long time. I'm going to keep this up and hopefully I can get into yoga, going to pick up some books soon and really do some research. What ways do you recommend finding relaxation and peace during stressful times ? Let me know! Email me [email protected] xoxo, Scarla.D
My best friend of 12 years Estrella and I are constantly trying to find new ways of spending time with each other. We live different lifestyles, she doesn't have any children so our priorities differ, we both also work demanding jobs. We do make it our business to check in everyday. This week she got a taste of what it's like to be a Mother. Her brother and sister in law were going away for a week and she was in charge of her Niece and Nephew.
She loves them and enjoyed the time with them but she was looking for ways to let them disperse their energy, they're 1 & 2. We live in the Bronx and decided to plan a trip to the Bronx Zoo while she still had them. Estrella also wanted to bring her 2 God children, so in total that's 5 kids, her mom, little sister and I. The zoo can get pricey so we chose to split the cost of a Premium zoo membership. That was the best choice, the premium zoo membership allows free entry for the membership owners, 1 adult guests and we added the option for up to 6 children. The price was $195 so in one zoo visit it pretty much pays for itself. With the zoo membership I also get entry into the children's zoo, monorail, the bug carrousel, 10% off food & merchandise as well as the shuttle to transport from one side of the zoo to the other, the membership also allows entry to all NYC zoos and the NY aquarium. It's fantastic! We packed sandwiches, snacks and plenty of water which saved us tons of money because the price for food at the zoo was high as expected.
The kids loved it, we got a slow start because it's such a large space we didn't know where to start.
Here are some pictures :
Beautiful view of The Bronx river
After a couple of tantrums from Brandon we ended with a great day, my friend Amanda was also supposed to meet me there but we failed and couldn't find each other once we were inside.
A Brandon’s dad came to pick us up, and took Brandon for a special treat.... you guessed it, more trains!
CLICK HERE for membership information!
It was an eventful weekend and I'm so happy the kids enjoyed their day.
Brandon turned 4 years old on June 24th. It feels like just yesterday I was on my way to be induced and super nervous but excited to meet my little one. It's bitter sweet because my baby is now a big boy and soon I won't even be able to carry him at all. I am excited for what's to come and all the amazing new milestones that are approaching.
This year since Brandon is in Pre-K he started learning about Birthday’s and all the months of the year. He knew when his Birthday was coming up and he knew exactly what he wanted. He requested a Train themed party. specifically MTA trains. He absolutely loves trains so I knew I had to do my best to make this a memorable party for him. I immediately started doing my research and to my surprise MTA themed party supplies does NOT exist.
My next best option was to DIY the party, I did my research and got some ideas.
I got to work Months ago to try to make sure I had the colors and the fonts perfect. With the help of my co worker Natasha we made several different attempts at the perfect trains number cut outs and we even made a metro card shaped thank you tags. It was a lot of copy and pasting but it was worth it in the end. Brandon and his class mates loved it !
How many children do you have ? And how old are they?
[I have a] Girl 1 year old, going on 2.
What is your Co parenting parenting style? Are you a single father? married?
The mother of my child and I have made an effort to co-parent since the birth of our daughter; as first time parents it has been an uphill climb that has improved with time as we have gotten our feet wetter as parents. Gracefully, I have been blessed with a solid immediate family that provides support to ease the load of being a single father. However, my 2 year old niece and sister reside with me and due to the child's father's absence, I have filled that void and though she is my sister, we function as a married couple in regards to the care of my niece.
What do you find the most difficult about being a father?
Time management and hairdressing. Gone are the days where I would schedule my day around a personal event; now, on days when I have my daughter, my daily schedule revolves around her, then follows everything else. As a single father time becomes a crucial factor and key element in maturation.
As expected, hairdressing is not my forté. I've been polishing my skills diligently as my daughter kicks and screams in anger, not because of the pain I inflict while doing her hair, more so because she is aware that the end result will be a disaster.
What is your favorite part about being a Father?
My favorite part of being a father is that the mutual love shared with your daughter is nothing south of genuine.
Are there any Father Stereotypes that you find yourself fighting?
I do not submit myself to the typical single father stereotypes because it is counterproductive. As a single father that sees his daughter on occasion, it is essential to make the best of the time shared with my daughter and supporting family rather than engaging in activities that might seem to combat the alleged stereotypes. Particularly in my case, my fathering skills are exercised around the clock due to my nieces' presence in my home and rigorously tested when I have to tend to both my niece and daughter simultaneously.
Do you have a story you would like to share?
I can admit that during my daughter's mother's pregnancy I hoped for a boy up until my daughter was born. She is the best thing that has happened to me and I would not change her gender for anything in the world.
Thank You for your contribution to MissScarlaD.com, Your time and efforts are greatly appreciated. I am trying to build a community where Mothers and Fathers can share stories, successes, hardships, tips, tricks, happiness and sadness with Parent's everywhere. Everyone is different and I thank you for allowing me to have a glimpse into your life!
Hey guys, so I thought it would be cool , in honor of fathers day to do a #FatherFriday’s segment. I know, I know -- today is Monday, But my next post will be Friday I promise.
Please meet my first Father Friday
Jose, 26
How many children do you have ? And how old are they?
I have a 6 yr old boy named Jeremy
What is your Co parenting parenting style? Are you a single father? married?
[Co- Parenting], We live in different households.
What do you find the most difficult about being a father?
The most difficult thing about being a father for me is not being able to share every single moment with him. The time we spend together is just never enough.
What is your favorite part about being a Father?
My favorite part is everything. It is so much fun to be around Jeremy and I wouldn't trade any second with him for anything in the world. He's just full of surprises and I never know what he's gonna do next.
Are there any Father Stereotypes that you find yourself fighting?
Not really. I feel like I do what I have to do as a father and anyone around me or anyone that truly matters knows the same.
Do you have a story you would like to share?
So last Thursday I pick him up for a late lunch from his house. I ask him where he wanted go and he picked a diner. I kind of didn't want diner food so I was trying to convince him otherwise; he was really persistent. His mother interferes and says "I know why you want to go to the diner, you want pancakes don't you?" And his face brightens up, she says "well you can't have pancakes because it's too late!" He then becomes disappointed. So I say "if you want pancakes then let's go get pancakes!!" His face brightens up again. So we head to the diner and the server asks him "what can I get for you, honey?" And he says "grilled cheese!"
Hi there! My name is Scarla Diaz and I am a Mother in NYC raising an amazing boy named Brandon.
Thanks for visiting my blog , it truly means a lot to me. I started this because I have so much to say but I am so painfully shy that writing my thoughts and feelings down seemed like the best thing to do. I want to share with you my struggles and my greatest moments. I want to learn about YOU! In here you’ll learn about my favorite books of the moment, latest DIY’s, makeup tips, relationship advice (not that I’m an expert) , my parenting struggles and more. I have so much I want to share and I hope you can share with me too! Welcome!
These are my absolute favorite childhood movies that take me back in time every time watch them. They don’t make movies as good as these anymore, in my opinion.
Back to the Future 1&2
I can never get tired of it! Plus its back to the future year :)
Blank Check
I wanted a blank check every year after watching this movie, Written out to Mr.Macintosh of course.
Barbies Dance Workout.
I literally had a full blown work out with this, But sometimes my sis and I would just watch while eating cereal lol.
Jumanji.
What’s not to love! Im still pissed at Sarah Whittle for not rolling the dice.
The Nightmare before Christmas.
LOVE! not sure if this is my favorite Halloween movie or Christmas movie.
Mrs.Doubtfire.
To this day. I still do my best impersonation of a hotdog.
Matilda.
Everyone loves this, its funny,sad,exciting and everyone wanted a slice of that chocolate sweat cake!
The Santa Clause.
Call me SC. Scott Calvin. This movie explained to me how Santa visited the Hood.
