Being A Student

I am glad I have the opportunity to pursue my goals and further my education. As a young mother it is difficult to manage all of my different hats: mother, wife and student. Finances aren't always the best and you feel resentment and guilt. I know that sometimes I truly hate school. I wish I was already done and in my career. I feel guilty because when I come home my son wants his mommy time. He wants me to be able to play with him those are the times I resent school. While other parents come home from work and leave their jobs at the door and can enjoy an evening with their children I have to so much to do and worry about (I am aware that not all professionals have this luxury).
What I do when I come home is play with my son, get him down for a nap, do some cleaning, get dinner started, wash the dishes after dinner, give him a bath, watch 30 minutes of TV, read a book and he's down to sleep at 9:30 (I put him down later because dad works evenings). By this time. I'm exhausted so of course I fall asleep and wake up at 4am so I can study and do homework. Its such a balancing act. I pray the day I can just be a working professional quickly approaches.

To diet or not to diet....

As soon as people think of losing weight they think, I have to get on a Diet. They try the latest fad, get bored and after a few weeks they're back to their old routines. I think the best way to lose weight is to change your lifestyle. I’m imploring this new method. I don't want to spend my entire life calorie counting. Sheesh! (how much fun is that really?) Anyway I was reading an article on MSN not too long ago (the name escapes me) about the affects of dieting on our children. It stated that constant obsession with weight and the lack of satisfaction with body image can in turn set a bad example of self-image for our daughters. I agree, I think if we as women are always complaining about how we look and are always talking about dieting. It’s not good for our children or for us. I have decided that I should just incorporate exercise into my daily life, like 3-5 times a week for at least 30 minutes. I cook well in my opinion I use olive oil, I do not fry foods, and I rather bake. I make more changes like substituting ground turkey for red meat, also adding more fish to my diet and drinking more water. I find that if you keep a big bottle of water near you all day, you will constantly drink water, thus making the goal of 8-10 glasses of water more attainable. See simple changes are what truly count and will guarantee better health. So what have we learned? We need to look at our bodies in a positive light, so how do we do this. Everyday look in the mirror and find at least one thing you like about your body. Also, make lifestyle changes instead of dieting. Good Luck and be healthy!

Routine a must

Its funny prior to children a routine seems optional. After having them, it is so MANDATORY. LOL. My grandma went into the hospital and has unfortunately passed. We had her funeral Saturday. I didn't get to attend but 20 minutes of it because I was getting things ready at the house for guests. Anyway, due to the fact my grandma was in the hospital for about 6 days prior to passing. Followed by having guests in our home for 4 days my life became a chaotic resemblance of what I have been accustomed. While it was great to see family, having them there threw my son off schedule that he began to act out.
These pass 10 days made me realize how important our routine really is. After everyone left, my son became moody, unresponsive to certain commands and more of a handful. As this week goes by and mom is able to spend time with him, wake up with him during his normal waking up time, feed him during his normal times, reinforce all of my rules for discipline, normal naptimes and bed times he's calming down and returning to my sweet little boy. Granted he's still a bubbly bouncing toddler but now he’s one who actually listens.
I think routines make children comfortable because they know what to expect. There aren’t constant surprises. Routines aid in development. I found that when my son's routine is rock solid he learns better. I have time to teach him new things; he's relaxed and more responsive. When teaching children, in my opinion, it’s a better experience when the child is in a positive mood they are more receptive. So I ask, how important is a routine in your life?

Lessons Learned

Wow! 2010 has come in and it sure is leaving it mark. I don't think this year will ever really leave my mind and the sad thing is we aren't even out of the first month. Well 2010 rang in and I remember tell my grandparents (my mother’s god-parents) Wow you guys see 2010 you made it to another decade, they are 86 and 87. As the days went by things seemed great, I was just recovering from an exhausting holiday season we took pictures and laughed. My son enjoyed seeing the grands daily running, hugs and kisses. They enjoyed his youth and loved to see him explore. Well Jan 12th came and so did the horrendous earthquake of Haiti. My mother’s mom, my 2 aunts and 3 cousins were all caught in the devastation leaving us in a limbo of uncertainty for about 2-3 days. Our family is recovering from it for the most part.
This morning started off simple enough, my son went to play with the grands. He laughed ran around, gave them hugs and climbed in bed with them. I could hear their laughter’s from down the hall. My grandma decided to go to a shower and shortly after, I could hear her calling my name. She was telling me she felt her left side going numb. Her face looked fine and I reassured her she was all right. She said she didn’t feel ok. So we agreed to call emergency response. They came and she said the numbness was getting worse. We went to the hospital I saw her for a second she spoke and asked me to bring something from home for her and that was the last thing she said to me. Things got worse instantly. The CAT scan revealed she had bleeding in her brain, a vessel had burst in her brain and she was having a bleeding stroke. Then the tube was placed in her throat. Next thing I knew we were being asked about final wishes, if we wanted a DNR. We were told that the neurosurgeon wouldn’t perform surgery there was nothing they could do to alleviate pressure on her brain. Then she was and still is in a coma; all of this in a period of 4 hrs.
I keep thinking to myself that can’t be it. Not like that. How can we just be talking and laughing and then this? I believe we're to learn these life lessons and I wonder what this month of January has taught me. Do we really learn from death? I have learned to take things slowly and to calm down, tomorrow isn’t promised and to tell people you love them. We make me wonder is I’m always saying I love you but I can’t remember the last time I said it to her.