What to get my son for Christmas?

I have no idea as to what to get him.  However, I plan to get him what he needs.

He needs another pair of athletic shoes.
Would your 13 yr old wear these?  He loves wearing that color combination.  I am most definitely at a lost this Christmas in gift giving. Those of you who have a 13 or 14 yr old what's on your list of gifts?

Teachable Moments With Love--Sportsmanship & Do The Work to Play the Game #1

A teachable moment is a learning opportunity for a child to acquire new information, values, morals, ...

My son attitude has changed in a not so positive way. He is twelve(12) and it seemed the change happened over night. Thus, lately we have had alot of  teachable moments.  I decided to document these life lessons.

 

Today, was my sons school sports awards program.  I took off work a little early so, he would have enough time to change his clothes and prepare for the event. He was previously excited about the event.  However, he found out that he would not be receiving an award, which he thought, I did not know.  When I arrive at the school to pick him up and ask that he put a littlr pep in his step as we only had a few minutes for him to get ready and get back for the event. He states, "I don't want to go to the awards program." I tell him point blank that he will be attending the program and tel him to head for the door.  He, now pouting and moving slow towards the door asked "do I have to go?" I reply, "Yes!" He starts to mumble under his breath and I hear, "I don't know, why I have to go, I'm not getting nothing"  I knew all along, he was not going to receive an award due to he did not keep up his grades during the season.

 

He finally got dress.  We sat with some of his friends. The program begins and all the middle school boys were called on stage  as they won the Championship. His friends whom we were sitting with get up and my son is the lone soldier. The boys on stage receive the medals, plaques and certificates and I could see the disappointment in my sons eyes. The girls are then called on stage and receive their medals, plaques and certificates.  Next, the coach talks about those who did the work reap the benefits.  The work is not only winning a race, but doing the work to get in the race. 

 

As we were leaving the event, my son commented, "I told you I wasn't going to get anything".  I replied, " I knew you were not going to receive an award." He then replied, "then why did we go?"  I informed him, he decided that he wanted to be apart of the team when he asked for my permission to tryout for the team.  He was there in support of his team and although he chose not to do his part in doing his school work to keep up his grades and was not allowed or eligible to participate in the some of the meets.  His teammates deserved his support as they supported him in the meets in which he ran.  Also, that it is not about "receiving".  We talked a little more about the matter and  I think he got it, but only time will tell

 

Be a teacher when life presents a teachable moment!

-Peace & Happiness

 

 "Adversity will surface in every life. How we meet it makes the difference."~Marvin J. Ashton (1915-1994)

 

 

 

 

 

CONGRATULATIONS

Yesterday, was a great day. I spent with friends as we congratulated a man-child take yet another step towards manhood.  He graduated from High School and have received monies to attend several colleges.  What a grat accomplishment!

I then left and went to help celebrate my friends sister-in-law"s 50th Birthday.

Both events were filled with happiness and brought family and friends together.

With everything that has been going on in my life to share in some joy & happiness was just what I needed




Share some Joy & Happiness

Mother's Day

I would like to wish all the mother's, those who have stepped in as a mother a Happy Mother's Day!!

My day started rough as I have now a Moody Toody twelve year old son. I was determined, I was going to have a great day and celebrate my role in what God has blessed me as.  Received Mother's Day wishes from friends and another friend invited me to her moms church to see Shirley Caesar.

My son and I visited with a friend of mine and her family and had a wonderful dinner with them that her daughter had prepared for us.  A new mom to a baby girl herself.  After dinner, my son and I ran off to see Shirley Caesar.

Now, yall know it wasn't that easy. My son gave me the blues, "I don't want to go"..."do I have to go?" Taking his slow poking time to get ready and such. He was working a nerve.  This is his usual when we are not doing something he wants to do and some of the time when he works that nerve, I get so frustrated and decide not to do whatever was planned because I just wasn;t up to his behavior and know I would not have a good time due to his attitude,  Well, not this time buddy.  I ignore all of his tactics.  I love Shirley Caesar and I wasn't going to let his nonsence spoil my day.

We arrived, got our seats and he was sour for the first 30 mins of the event.  To my surprise, his attitude changed and I saw him clapping, swaying and tapping his feet. As it was getting late, he had school and I had work the next day. I told him, I believed Pastor Caesar's next song was going to be "No Charge" and that after she sings that we are going to leave to try to get ahead of some of the traffic. I most definetly wanted him to hear her sing that song.

We waited and waited, but unfortunately, she did not sing that song and I though it would have been a great ending song for the evening.  Yall can you believe that child of mine was not ready to go. He wanted to stay to the very end.  I explained that we really needed to get a head start and people from the audience were just taking a stab at singing her song and it was time to go.

He and I made a lasting memory and it turned out to be a great day


Turn someones raining day to a sun shiny one
~Peace & Happiness 

Marlon & Shawn Wayans at DC Improv

Photo Credit: brothaashproductions.com

I went to the DC Improv last night to see Marlon & Shawn Wayans.  With everything that has been going on in my life, it was what I needed. Laughter is the best medicine!

Now, this was my first time to DC Improv and it won't be my last however, I do not recommend going to the last show. We arrived early and was told we could leave and come back or we could go sit in their holding room. Since, we parked in the parking garage next to the venue and it was a cold and breezy night we were not leaving and coming back as we were only 30mins early. We went into the cold holding room. The wait was much longer in there than we expected. I'm told earlier shows you are not treated as such.  This night their were three(3) shows and we chose to go to the 11pm show. The venue requires a two(2) item purchase off the menu. The first item, I selected was Hot Chocolate. Yeah, I know, but it was freezing in that place.  I was starving as we planned to stop for dinner prior to the show, but we felt since they serve food their we would get some wings or something because who really wants to eat at 11pm at night. We ordered more than wings because again we were starving after the long wait.

The host, Wil Sylvincehttps://www.facebook.com/wsylvince was hilarious.  Go see him if you ever get a chance. He is out of Brooklyn he's the Haitian guy. This guy had me in tears. 

Marlon says, "he's the ugly one", not true at all. Marlon has come into his own. He's a cutie and as we all know he is crazy and funny as h e and 2 hockey sticks. I wish he was on a little longer than he was.

Shawn is still his fine self. He shared he is now a single dad of three(3) kids and one which is named Marlon. Brotherly love. He is funnier than I thought he would be. He's not just fine, he's funny too.

RGIII was in the house at the show prior to the one I attended. Marlon was excited about and took pictures with him.

Great time, great night and I definitely would go see them all again.

Check them out if they are coming near you.

Remember Laughter is the best medicine

Dread Early Morning Phone Calls

 

Yesterday, morning the phone rang early. I have always been leary of an early morning phone call ever since, I received an early morning call July 3, 1996. Back then, my uncle, who was more like a brother to me collasped at work and was rushed by ambulance to the nearest hospital.  I received a call early in the morning from my mom of this news and was to meet her and my maternal grandmother at the hospital.

 I arrived at the hospital first and went to the desk inquiring about my uncle and the desk nurse instructed me to go into this room as I waited for my mom and grandmother to arrive. I patiently was waiting for them to arrive and I started to notice the pamphlets in the room, "How to deal with death of a loved one" and a poster on the wall of a image ascending to clouds.  I freaked, ran out of the room and ask the nurse was my uncle stable and if I could see him at that time.  She asked me if my uncle mom or wife had arrived.  I told her that my mom and grandmother(his mother) were on their way.  My uncle was not with his wife at that time and she was living in another state, so nobody was going to wait for her to get their before we saw him.  The nurse sent me back to the room and I broke down, while crying I asked her why was she sending me to that room and whynot the emergency room waiting area, which was right around the corner. I remember her telling me to please go in the room and the doctor will be out to talk to me.  I didnt want to go back in that room and another girl who was waiting to see her uncle who wasin a fishing accident came and gave me a hug and offered to go in the room with me. 

It was like the floor dropped under my feet when the doctor came out and said, "we did all we could do, but Mr.[my uncle]did not make it" as he was asking me to identify the body, my mom and Grandmother walked in.  {I did not want to do it, but I didn't want my Grandma having to  do it(she ended up wanting to see him) that image of my uncle lying on a gerney with needles sticking out of him is still embedded in my brain) {such a sad day}

 

Yesterday, the telephone rang early and it was from my step-grandmother's house, it was her nurse and my aunt telling my father of his mother's passing.

 

Today, I received a text at 8am from my girlfriend that her mom had passed earlier today.  I don't like early morning calls and now I'm adding early morning texts too.  My friends and family members know this and do not call if it is absolutely necessary or an emergency.

 

May Mrs. Alice Downs (step-grandmother) and Mrs. Margaret Culver (Best Friend mom) Rest In Peace and blessings showered among the families and loved ones.

My LIFE SAVER

I am so grateful for my son(12yrs old). He literally saved my life on July 23, 2012. 

 I had no idea what was going on with me. It was a regular Monday morning, so, I thought.  I tried to stand up to  prepare myself for work, but that day I felt a little dizzy. I thought, maybe I needed something to eat. i continued to try to get up, but my legs felt like noodles. I couldn't stand!  I flung myself out of my bed and tried to get closer to my son's room.  I remember trying to crawl, but i couldn't. I remember flinging myself and rolling to get closer to him. I yelled out to him, while I was still flinging myself on the floor, so much so  just before I flunged myself down the stairs my son came and asked me if I was OK. I think, I said "yes".My son kept saying "Mom, you don't look right." and "Mom, you don't sound right either.  I remember thinking, "I fell down the freaking steps how does one should look". I remember telling him I was OK. But then he asked me to say "buttercup" like 5 times. He said, I couldn't do it and that, "I didn't sound right".  He said, he was going to call 911. I told him "no!" I remember him putting the phone to my ear and my mother was on the line asking me what was going on because my son called her and said, "my mom, doesn't look or sound right and she won't let me call 911" my mom asked me to say a word and I guess I couldn't and the next thing I know the paramedics was at my door and I was in the hospital.  I didn't get out of the hospital until Aug. 28th.  So, for those who wondered that's where I've been.  I've been at my parent's house since then recovering and going to out patient therapy. That's the short story.

Take Care of yourself. Eat healthy and believe me STRESS kills!