I Have Been Up Since 4:00 am

 Posted by Bill on January 29, 2010  Balancing Work and Children, General, Raising Children as a Single Parent  No Responses »
Jan 292010
 

As I sit here and write my weekly blog I have a cup of coffee in one hand, a Pepsi in the other and one eye open. I have been up since 4:00 am this morning and barely alive. I recently heard a country song with the lyric “You can sleep when you die” . In that case I want to die. There is good news and bad news as to why I have been up since 4:00 am. The bad news is that my kids have been sick this week.  The good news is that my kids have been sick this week. If I had my choice I would always have the kids get sick at the same time. This week my choice has been granted. I have had my days of one being sick one week and the other the next. All that this does is extend out the whole process. Personally I wish that they would both cough, sneeze and throw up at the exact same time. But since they are not Siamese twins this is not a reality. I feel bad for them, but better to get it over with than extend out the midnight calls to the infirmary.

As a single parent I am left to my own accord to take care of my kids. It is not easy but it has to be done. As I sat in my living room early this morning I reflected on how many other parents must be going through the exact same thing that I was? They say that the greatest job you could ever have is that of being a parent. I am not sure that I subscribed to that way of thinking at 4:00 am this morning. Nobody ever said that parenting would be easy but single parenting…..well it is what it is.

I know that by later tonight my kids will be feeling better and I will be able to get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a new day and we will all be refreshed, healthy and ready to go again. So for all of you parents who have yet to do your 4:00 am infirmary shift, I offer you two bits of advice. One, pray that all of your kids get sick on the same day and two, never forget “You can sleep when you die”. Continue reading »

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Do women find men who like babies more alluring?

 Posted by Tracy on January 27, 2010  General  6 Responses »
Jan 272010
 

One of the sights I see that fills my heart with so much joy, adoration and respect is when I see a single dad lovingly embracing his kid(s) or playing with them and truly having fun, showing a moment of tenderness and vulnerability or lighting up when he talks about them.   I find it WAY hotter to see a man walking with a baby strapped to his chest proudly displaying his handiwork then one flashing his pearly whites while driving his Ferrari.   There is just something about seeing a man with a kid that makes most of us chicks melt like butta.  Why is that?

Check out this study on the allure of men who like babies http://www.parentingscience.com/sexy-dads.html.

I know for me, even though Paris’s father and I aren’t together anymore, I still feel a little tingle when he tells me that he blow dries and brushes her hair and takes great pride in the coif he creates.  I love seeing the smile he gets on his face when he is humored by her.  That activates loving feelings in me.  And when he plays with her in the roughhouse way men play with their kids, I feel so fortunate that Paris was blessed with a Dad that loves her so much. Continue reading »

Budget Organic Eating Into Your Family’s Health Plan

 Posted by Julie on January 26, 2010  Nutrition  1 Response »
Jan 262010
 

With disease rates and environmental decay on the rise, switching to organic foods serve as a responsible measure to mediate both.

Pesticides and chemicals found in non-organic foods create toxic debris that your body has a hard time metabolizing. This leads to fatigue, headaches, and skin conditions, or more serious disease states like cancer.

Externally, non-organic crops emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and contaminate plots of earth that ultimately compromise our wildlife and natural resources. Continue reading »

Practice Practice Practice

 Posted by Bill on January 22, 2010  Balancing Work and Children, General, Getting Your New Life In Order, How to Communicate with Your Kids, Raising Children as a Single Parent, Taking Time for Yourself, Uncategorized  No Responses »
Jan 222010
 

They say that practice makes perfect. Who ever said that was obviously not a parent. I have practiced at being a good parent ever since day one. I continue to practice at it each and every day. Last week I thought that I had finally figured it out and then my 13 year old teenage daughter reminded me that I have a long way to go. I am starting to think parenting is allot like golf. You will never win at it totally. Oh you may score well every once in awhile, but just when you start to think you’ve got  it figured out,  you slice it into the woods and have to take a penalty stroke. I have had my share of penalty strokes with the kids.

The problem with being a good parent is that your kids are constantly changing. Once you get the toddler stage down here comes the young child stage, then the pre-teen stage and finally the dreaded teenager stage. Looking back on the early stages, I now realize that the degree of difficulty changes with each stage. It must be Gods way of reminding you that practice doesn’t make perfect, but it will make you better. I am blessed to have my parents as examples. With five kids they had allot of practice. Looking back on it now I realized that they weren’t perfect, but at least they kept practicing. Actually with five kids maybe they should have stopped practicing having  us after two:) I am the oldest by the way! One thing that I know is that if you as a parent keep practicing, your children will be the beneficiary of it. I pray every night for those children who don’t have parents who practice. They are the ones that will never understand how to become a good parent themselves. They are the ones who will turn to the dark side when if their parents had just practiced more, they would have all seen the light.

You see when it comes to being a good parent I have learned that practice doesn’t make perfect. We are all going to make mistakes no matter how hard we practice at it. The trick is to accept that we aren’t perfect and continue to practice. Because just like golf, every once in awhile you have that great round that reminds you “I can do this”. I must do it! I will keep practicing. My children need me too….

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Never Never Never Give Up!

 Posted by Jerry on January 21, 2010  General  No Responses »
Jan 212010
 

What separates the successful, from the un-successful?

It’s really simple: The successful never allow themselves be overtaken by the “victim” mentality. They never make excuses. They adapt to the hand they are dealt, and play it to the best of their ability. They never give up!

Everyone has weak moments. Sometimes those weak moments turn into longer periods of time than we would like.

In the end though, the successful always come out on top, because they found a way to get through it. Continue reading »

We just like to party like to pa pa party yeah!

 Posted by Tracy on January 20, 2010  General  Comments Off
Jan 202010
 

One of me and Paris’s favorite things to do is sing along to songs and make up dance moves.   Sometimes she will sing and dance while I watch and then she’ll point to me and then it’s my turn to break it down.  I love this and I hope that it will be as fond of a memory for her when she grows up.

The latest musical flavor of the month is Lady Gaga.  At first, I wasn’t into her, but her over the top theatrics, soulful voice and catchy dance beats finally got me and they got Paris too.  So when she gets in the car she immediately says, “Lady Gaga, number 3 please” and boom it goes on and we becoming the dancing and singing duo.

Watching her belt out some of the lyrics is one of the funniest things I’ve seen in my whole life.  Take this one for an example, “We just like to party like to pa pa party yeah bang bang, we’re beautiful and dirty rich.”  And she gets into it to let me tell ya.  And if we are out in public, she has no problem at all getting down in front of everyone.  She’s even gone so far as to throw on hat in Target and start doing the Thriller dance.  Gotta love this kid. Continue reading »

Keeping Your Body (and Your Wallet) in Tip-Top Shape

 Posted by Julie on January 19, 2010  General  1 Response »
Jan 192010
 

We all know that staying fit is important.

Yet as single parents, with limited time and resources, exercise can take a back to seat to other ‘life priorities’.

Furthermore, in times of economic hardship, it’s difficult to justify a $100 per month gym membership when you’re allocating funds to groceries, kids’ activities, and other overhead items that you must now manage on your own.

As a result, you may forgo exercise.  But at what expense? In the end, you put yourself at risk for weight gain, fatigue, a compromised immune system, and of course more serious conditions like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Continue reading »

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