Bon Voyage - My experience at Laguardia Airport

Long story short, I was taking my son on a trip to Puerto Rico to visit his great grandfather and family.  My flight was scheduled to leave at about 8 am from Laguardia.  I arrived at about 7, checked in at the front, before even entering the airport.  THey took my luggage and handed my a boarding pass after reviewing my id.  They even mentioned that it showed I was flying with an infant.  Ok.
So, I get my boarding pass and start making my way through security and so on.  I have a few items with me and so I never really looked at my boarding pass, except for when I glanced at the gate number.  When I reached my gate, I told that representative that I was on my way to orlando.  She said , orlando left, it was only 745.  So i was a bit confused.  She said you must be going to ft. lauderdale.  And since i remembered seeing that on my itinerary i thought she may be right.. Again I glanced at my ticket and saw ft. lauderdale.  I thought wow, i was wrong, let me go get some breakfast and put my thinking cap on.  As I was ordering my breakfast, I had this gut feeling to look at my ticket again, that was when I finally noticed, I was holding a ticket with a name different than mine.  Same last name, but different first name.  When it was all said and done, I made it through security, showing my id with a totally different name.  Unbelievable!  So i missed my flight.  THey had to book me a courtesy flight out of JFK in the afternoon.  What a mission.

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Read full history - Bon Voyage - My experience at Laguardia Airport

Mauritania

So as a Tmobile customer, I have the luxury of checking out the call log.  To my surprise, my husband was receiving text messages from Mauritania in a 222-222-2211 number.  I was about to flip out when I thought about looking through his fone that evening but I found a link on facebook stating that other people have seen the same thing on their bill.  PHEW!   That would surely have been the end of our five year marriage, as I don't play that!!  Other numbers that have been reported are 222-222-2208 and  222-222-2205 all at the most random hours of the night and day.  My advice for those without unlimited, report it to Tmobile.  My guess is that it comes from an app.  Just a thought.

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Read full history - Mauritania

BEWARE:: DO NOT ORDER FROM AIR JORDAN HOME . com or NIKEJORDANHIGHHEELS . com

They will take your money and not send you any product.  Do not waste your time or money here.

FORGET ABOUT IT!!!


MY PERSONAL REVIEW OF AIRJORDANHOME AND NIKEJORDANHIGHHEELS is they are HORRIBLE!!

THESE SHOES ARE NOT REAL and if you would be lucky enough to receive the product, it's 100%  fake!   

Do you really want to spend money on "fake" shoes?

FAKE NIKE HEELS.

DO NOT TRUST AIRJORDANHOME.COM, or NIKEJORDANHIGHHEELS . COM

YOU EXPERIENCE WILL  NOT BE GOOD AT ALL!!!

DO NOT ORDER SHOES FROM AIRJORDANHOME.COM

THEY HAVE NO WORKING TELEPHONE NUMBER AND ARE LOCATED IN CHINA!!!!!!!!!

BEWARE!!


 EXAMPLE:  ODER WAS PLACED JAN. 28th.  WEBSITE SAYS THEY WILL SHIP IN A FEW DAYS, 8 DAYS you should have your order.  I still do not have my order or a number where I can speak to someone.

Here's their email to me:

Thank you for your registration and your order in our online shop www.airjordanhome.com ,I am Lemon, the customer service of the shop. We have already received your payment but I am very sorry to tell you that the product you ordered is out of stock.**Womens nike air jordan Aj4 high heels black red white clearance**in stock,but **Air Jordan 4 black and Natural Grey with Red shoes**out of stock now

Maybe you would like to choose another pair of shoes instead,or you need us refund it for you?pls reply me when you are free,thank you!

I am terribly sorry for all the inconvenience caused to you. If you are interested in other products in our website, I will offer best service for you

Best wishes!

=====================

REALLY???  Best service?  Do you call taking my money and avoiding me for weeks at a time the best service???  I wish I had known better.  

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Read full history - BEWARE:: DO NOT ORDER FROM AIR JORDAN HOME . com or NIKEJORDANHIGHHEELS . com

To Marry or Not To Marry? Marriage and Divorce is too technical to even bother.

I kinda feel bad writing this but my advice to readers is -don't get married.  Too many times we see instances where people are in love, the get hitched within a matter of months and ask themselves later on, "what were we thingking?" or "who did I marry?"  

Sure, there was a time when people genuinely respected and loved each other but those times have changed.  Just like ladies no longer wear corsets and big dresses or suits, ties and hats for men as the accepted daily wardrobe, people should avoid marriage.  Because it's all a technicality.  In order to get married, you have to register and pay for a license.  Seriously!  We have to pay for a license to love someone else and call them your spouse.  We are supposed to cherish and help one another and when that doesn't happen, then what?  If you want to live as a comfortable couple, you're both going to have to work. Many times that's where stress begins.  Usually there's a bread winner and after a while, after being comfortable around one another and kind of taking each other for granted sometimes a competition starts between the couple leading to unnecessary marital stress and bad decision making.  As it is today,  families can't really afford a stay at home parent situation without some outside help, so usually both parents work and that's causes stress in the family and marital situation also.  As a married couple, you must file taxes together and if your spouse has another agenda (since, let's face reality we aren't born as mind readers) you will be held liable for that stuff also.   So then what?   Do you try counseling?   How much will that cost you guys?  And if after using time and money to see that this doesn't work for you both, do you go ahead divorce?  Well, you'd have to pay for that too.

If you apply for divorce alone (no laywer) and you both don't fight about anything (uncontested divorce) it can cost something like $300  to $500.  If you hire a lawyer their rates range anywhere from $3500 per uncontested case or $500 to $800 per appearance.  Today's world is full of stress, especially financial stress.  So do you really want to get married and possibly create more?  I believe it is possible to love someone and build a life without being technical.  At the end of it all marital assets are really a pain in the ass and just another way for the government to keep tabs on people and their money.  I guess paying taxes to have a government tell us what to do and how to live doesn't generate enough revenue.

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No respect.

Strolling thru the city with the family is wonderful thing.  It's all fine and dandy until some mother lovin jerk off decides to hand my partner a "happy ending", "chica's-chica's", "call girl" whatever you wanna call it, card.  I was shock and pissed, to say the lest.  I thought to myself and quickly shouted, "dude, are you seriously marketing this?  On the streets?  Like it's cool??  Can you have some discretion?  You know, like not hand those kinda cards to people who obviously are a family, walking together, enjoying the weather"  Then I went on to call him disrespectful and  few other choice words.

The whole thing is pretty sad though.  I doubt the women working for this job are even citizens.  I can't believe the patrol police never take the time to look down on the side walks and see these cards littered all over busy city blocks.  Oh, but the cops will patrol the streets at 10:00 pm and to check if the cars that are  parked are okay on inspection and registration stickers, otherwise - they'll issue tickets.  What a way to protect.  Hmm.. So, what ever happened to protect and serve?  As in, protect the kids that have to walk through the streets and see these cards on the ground.  Protect the women who are working this?  Protect the families that become corrupted because of this type of market?  This isn't Vegas, so I'm very shocked and appalled.

Here's one that I found in the street today on my way home from the supermarket. 

Front of Chica Chica Card

Back side of chicas chicas card.

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Read full history - No respect.

Cleaning and Disinfecting with Vinegar

cleaning toys with water soap and vinegar

For some of us, living in the city means that some people live in smaller than average spaces.  Personally, I love the convenience of our two bedroom studio but it bothers me to use cleaning agents such as clorox or ammonia because the smell quickly travels to all corners of the apartment.  While I do like the smell of steamed clorox, I know it can't be all that healthy for my little one.  He'll be 18 months soon, yet my anxieties and worries when it comes to how I am handle things for him are still as fresh and nerve wrecking as the day he came home.  The mentality of a parent is such a weird thing for me because I notice how aware I have become with everything in life, in my routines and in my thoughts and actions.  As an active learner, I learned that we need some exposure to germs, especially him so that his immune system could become stronger.  And I'm sure we could all agree that cleaning with water only isn't the brightest idea out there.

Well,  few years ago I was employed as a coordinator with a dialysis clinic.  My point in mentioning this is that I distinctly remember two things when it comes to cleaning up bacteria. The first was that the units and seats were wiped down with alcohol after each treatment.  And the second was that spills were cleaned up with VINEGAR.  Of course, after remembering this while cleaning with 409 - which clearly states "harmful to humans and animals" - I researched Vinegar as a cleaning agent.

I was excited and relieved to learn that vinegar works well in killing most bacteria, mold and germs.  Needless to say, I filled up a spray bottle with vinegar and started spraying everything from the door knobs to the kitten's bedding.  As you can see in the picture, I even filled up his old tub with all the plastic toys I could find and then dumped them into a solution of water, vinegar and some dish soap.  I let them soak for about 10 minutes then I rinsed and dried them off before putting them back into his room.

I felt and still feel good about my new cleaning agent and the smell of vinegar isn't that bad, especially when I think about that versus breathing in harmful cleaning fumes.  In my opinion, which based on some research and my experience in the medical world, I am convinced that Vinegar is an effective tool for sanitizing the home.  I have learned to trust myself when it comes to making decisions because whenever I have doubted myself, later on down the line I usually realize that I had it right all along.  I admit, I do wish there was some way to home test the levels of bacteria found in the apartment and on the toys and so forth.  Not because I doubt my choice of cleaning agent but because I think it would be great to know the "scientific" outcome of my daily cleaning efforts.

Actually, I might be going off on a tangent but a bacteria tester would also be great for testing the levels of  bacteria in washing machines at laundromats, trays and tables at restaurants, equipment at a playground, or even our very own steering wheels.  Sure, I could just walk around with alcohol wipes and be the antibacterial maniac but I'd love to personally test and confirm what it actually accomplishes.  Just sayin'!


=======================================================================

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BEWARE OF CRAIGSLIST - The Craigslist bandit is back at it again.

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=================================================

 BEWARE---

I'm an active job hunter, what can I say.  I came across another ad, this time for a DATA ENTRY ASSISTANT.  On this ad, I noticed there was an AOL email address on the ad, crgslstds66@aol.com.  I googled it and I'm very suspicious about this one because, there was an ad in SEATTLE - the ad I was replying to was in the EAST.  I'm pretty sure the bandit is back at it.. AGAIN.  

Here are the all of bogus ads that I found today.

PLSKG1@GMAIL.COM

PLSKG1@GMAIL.COM

PLSKG1@GMAIL.COM  ==== I wouldn't trust this email address.  They seem to use a web extractor to make their address seem relevent however, you never find the name of the company associated with the email address.  BEWARE!!


Job Responsibilities:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Minimum 3 month of previous certified payroll experience
• Requires excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Regular attendance is required:crgslstds66@aol.com

• Location: seattle
• Compensation: $16/hr
• Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
• Please, no phone calls about this job!
• Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

===============>>>

Looking to hire an experienced individual for the position of an admin assistant
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Minimum 3 month of previous certified payroll experience
• Requires excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Regular attendance is required.crgslstds66@aol.com

• Location: Manhattan
• Compensation: $16/hr
• Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
• Please, no phone calls about this job!
• Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

PostingID: 2244860332

=================>>>





 I also found their bogus ad on :


http://www.healthcareassistant-jobs.com/data-entry-assistant-queens/

Are you looking for an interesting, busy and often times challenging position? If so please send us your resume. We are an established firm seeking to add an office assistant/scheduler to our staff.

Good phone skills, customer service, and computer knowledge are an absolute must have!. The ideal candidate will also have the ability to work independently but also take direction as required.email:crgslstds66@aol.com

======================>>>>

In case you haven't read my previous Beware of Craigslist, here is the beginning of the post.  Click on it to read the rest.

You have found this page by searching for DAVID HOWER, HR MANAGER, VILLACOM LIMITED,  WELORIS STAFFING, DAVID HOWER AND THOMAS some junk, am I correct? 


Because you applied for a job and he was the person who responded, am I correct?  Well, it's messed up.  People just don't know when to stop the nonsense and be good.  Many people need jobs, and sometime, some of those many people use sites like Craigslist to job hunt.  People like me.  You see, I was on Craigslist and was very excited to see
a job paying $16 - $20 bucks per hour.

Read full history - BEWARE OF CRAIGSLIST - The Craigslist bandit is back at it again.

The CitiKitty Cat Genie My Way

After thinking about how great it would be to toilet train the kitten, I decided to use my sitz bath since its in the closet gathering dust.  So, I took it out and before I prepped it I wrapped up her kitty litter box, in plastic, could you believe she pee'd right on top of the plastic.  This made me realize, toilet training is possible.  After I cleaned up that mess and made her new potty, she happily hopped in and began scratching away.  I think tonight I will put the litter in the bathroom and tomorrow on the toilet.  I don't see why I should wait a week and confuse her.

==========================================================================

The Next day

And so,  I decided to put it on the toilet.  She did use it bust since shes still a kitten and this is only her second week with us, she's kind of jumpy and so I had to put it back in the hall when she was done.

Sitz bath turned into kitty potty training device

kitty using the home made citi kitty

who needs a cat genie when the cat is a genius??

kitten using toilet

ahhh, relief.  potty time

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Read full history - The CitiKitty Cat Genie My Way

Here's the truth on How you can Make easy money online

Make easy money online - Intel by ®Sophia - Qondio United States


This is the Truth about making money online, the easy way, on auto pilot. 


The truth is this, when it comes down to how to "make money at home" don't you realize that every website you visit eventually wants to get your email address before they release any kind of information to you? So you give your email address and then what? Suddenly Viola, congratulations!

You're the next lead - not the next millionaire.

NOTICE how there's always a catch phrase, like ($200 value, yours free!) that will show you how to "make money at home," online, "EASY", "ON AUTO PILOT". They even claim you can earn up to 10k per month, part time from home.

Making money at home will come easy if you find something you are passionate about and love. Then naturally, you find a way to promote it. Be it by word of mouth, a decal on your car, or paying for ad space somewhere you have to promote your work/business.

Now, for the computer professional, many times it's easy to sit in front of a screen for hours and program a site. Easy for them because they love what they do and it makes them money because it is a skill.

But for everyday people looking to make money online, a.k.a. get rich quick, unfortunately, there's not much out there other than traps of cycles.

By cycles, I mean Cycles of people who are just like you, looking for some PROMISED auto pilot way of earning income. The only person making money in that scenario is the designer/programmer of the website and the owner. Make no mistake, the owner put work into making that happen, either work or money to get someone else to do the work necessary to make a profit.

And the fact still remains that money and skill are TWO MAJOR PIECES OF A PUZZLE that many sites claim aren't needed in order to join and reap the benefits of making money online.

Anyone else notice that it's like the nice way of saying, "The dumber you are the better? Join today."

All of the traffic exchanges, all the multilevel marketing networks, all the lead promisers, will soon find themselves without members, once people wake up and smell the coffee.

If you're looking to MAKE MONEY ONLINE THE EASY WAY, I'M SORRY TO BURST YOUR BUBBLE BUT THERE'S no one answer for that and it won't be easy as sending your email address and making millions, on auto pilot.

This is true because many of the "splash pages" you run into are generics meaning when you join, lot's of times they pass on the rights to distribute the same exact page that promised "earn easy money" for joining, on to you. Next thing you know, there you are after reading tons of material and wasting time, suddenly you've figured out how to give the splash page your information as the owner, then you put up ads somewhere somehow, to spread the news about "making easy money".

Meanwhile, you haven't made a dime and have spent countless hours, joining like minded discussion boards and so forth in an effort to make "virtual friends/connections" and eventually send them your get rich quick ad too! There you have it, The cycle! Don't fall into it.

Also, the only way traffic exchanges would work was if the surfers (members), clicked the ads. However, many ad agencies such as Google PROHIBIT the use of ads in traffic exchanges. So, there you have it as far as that's concerned too.

If you want to make money online, find something meaningful to you that you enjoy doing, so it doesn't seem like work to you. Find out how to put your web presence together and promote it, promote it on you car, by word of mouth or pay for a billboard even. That's how you really make money online. Real stuff from real people.

As far as SEO and SEM those are real ideas based on the way search engines find your web-presence. But they aren't complicated at all, so don't get your panties in a bunch about those things either. The fact is, you can have all the right key words, but without "backlinks" your page has no importance in the virtual world. Search engines like Google, Yahoo!, Bing and so on would list you but not in any of the first few results.


Make money online, make money from home, work at home.


Below I will list the sites you should learn to stay away from.  They are pointless.
johnchow.com

Read full history - Here's the truth on How you can Make easy money online

BEWARE OF CRAIGSLIST

You have found this page by searching for DAVID HOWER, HR MANAGER, VILLACOM LIMITED,  WELORIS STAFFING, DAVID HOWER AND THOMAS some junk, am I correct? 

Because you applied for a job and he was the person who responded, am I correct?  Well, it's messed up.  People just don't know when to stop the nonsense and be good.  Many people need jobs, and sometime, some of those many people use sites like Craigslist to job hunt.  People like me.  You see, I was on Craigslist and was very excited to see
a job paying $16 - $20 bucks per hour.


Who wouldn't apply, right?


I was very surprised to have actually run into A SCAM while searching for part-time work.

In short, I replied,  I sent my resume and a cover letter.  I received an email acknowledging my submission which also stated some interesting reading material.  I have copy and pasted it here:

===============================================================================

========================================================================

Hello,

Thank you for sending your resume to me. So the job responsibilities are clear, you will be answering the phone, scheduling meetings, and running company errands such as buying office supplies and making bank deposits in a company car. When running errands you will be provided with a company credit card to make supply purchases, etc.

We have had some bad experiences with prior employees taking advantage of having access to a company credit card in the past, so before we can schedule an interview, we need you to get a credit check. We prefer you use http://creditcheckcentral.org/promo2 to obtain this information as they currently have a free trial. We have also found their reports most accurate. When you submit your information they will send you your credit score.

When you email me your credit score, we can schedule for an interview. Please do not email me your credit report, as this may have private information in it. If you have a low credit score, that will not prevent you from having an interview with us, but it does show us that you are trustworthy and responsible. Please send me your schedule with availability for an interview along with your credit score. I am looking forward to your response.

Sincerely,

David Hower

HR Manager

Villacom Limited

 ======================================================================================

=========================================================================

Now, please Excuse my way of saying this, but that's bull!  

DON"T EVER CLICK ON A LINK WHICH ASKS YOU FOR PERSONAL INFORMATION!!!!!! 

I'm pissed but I feel bad for the people who do fall for these kinds of scams and consequently have their identities stolen....

  If you have found this helpful, please click on the banner to vote for my blog.

  BEWARE OF CRAIGSLIST and the SCAMS.

Read full history - BEWARE OF CRAIGSLIST

Thanks to Facebook

compassion practice it

So one of my friends posted a quote from the Dalai Lama : "We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves."  

And so that prompted me to Google some Dalai Lama quotes.  Then I ran into the wonderful word COMPASSION.  A virtue I am so desperately trying to possess.  What I can't' understand is how one can so easily feel anger and not be able to submit that to compassion.  Why can't I wrap my head around that thought?  

Anyway, here are a few other Dalai Lama quotes I ran into that I'd like to share.

---Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.

-

--If you can, help others; if you cannot do that, at least do not harm them.

---If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

----Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

---If you have fear of some pain or suffering, you should examine whether there is anything you can do about it. If you can, there is no need to worry about it; if you cannot do anything, then there is also no need to worry.  (This is my favorite because it's basically saying DONT WORRY BE HAPPY)

----Human potential is the same for all. Your feeling, “I am of no value”, is wrong. Absolutely wrong. You are deceiving yourself. We all have the power of thought – so what are you lacking? If you have willpower, then you can change anything. It is usually said that you are your own master.

--- We must recognize that the suffering of one person or one nation is the suffering of humanity. That the happiness of one person or nation is the happiness of humanity.

---Through violence, you may ‘solve’ one problem, but you sow the seeds for another.

---A spoon cannot taste of the food it carries. Likewise, a foolish man cannot understand the wise man´s wisdom even if he associates with a sage.

 ----In our struggle for freedom, truth is the only weapon we possess.

Great words of wisdom, right?

Read full history - Thanks to Facebook

Reality TV Junkie

Ok, So I have been plagud with the reality tv junk.  I will be back soon with the wonderful updates of my son, his milestones and our fun together.  After, Jersey Shore of course..

Read full history - Reality TV Junkie

Fall is here..

Its autumn! What a huge difference in temperature from the heat wave of a summer we experienced this year. As for me, I like the heat, so I kinda miss it. The cold that the fall and winter bring, give me dry skin (so I use Johnson's Body Care, Deep Hydrating Extra Dry Skin Lotion), not to mention a pale complexion and a really good reason to stay home.


Anyway, fall! There's plenty of that going on in my world now-a-days and plenty of demands to add to the stress associated with the falling. Now that the baby is a toddler, he loves walking about. In fact, his personality is really beginning to shine. He's a smart and tough kid. It takes him one to two shots at learning a lesson on his own. I've watched as he flung a toy around, hit himself with it and learn- 'ok, that hurt. I shouldn't do that'. Just the other day, I left him playing in his room while I went to use the bathroom. Of course, as our luck would have it, he bumped his head and was screaming. I ran to him & I asked what happened while I searched for a red spot, bump, or something. He was screaming but I didn't see any marks on his face, arms, legs, back, or head. So I set him down and the moment I did that, he stopped crying. Completely! Classic example of how they weren't playing when they said, "children do not come with manuals."


He is very confident & he knows what he wants. If he doesn't want to be in the 5 In 1 Convertible Crib, or hi-chair, I'll know. If he doesn't want me to lock the gate in his room, I'll know about that too. If he wants to touch something, he will go for it. If I say no, he will try it anyway - over and over and over again. When he's full, he'll push the spoon, bottle or food on his tray to the side and shake his head. His way of saying, no more mom. Well, sheesh, you're only 12 months buddy. Take it easy! But I really love how when I say, "come here and kiss me" and he does. So for every tantrum that he throws or mess that he makes, just knowing I created him and also being with him day in and out (which although can be quite overwhelming at times) makes not having a manual, meaningful.


I belong to that group of moms that are dedicated to being with their child, out of necessity. I sometimes wish I had the luxury of family nearby, who could pick him up, spend time with him and also give me some time to either rest or peacefully complete chores. When I find myself wishing for that, I take a look at how I'm doing and end up patting myself on the back for a job well done so far! I don't go out with the girls, or my hunny for drinks but I sing, dance, cook, clean and devote my undivided attention to them.

Read full history - Fall is here..

We made it through our first year, together.

 

My baby will soon be turning 1. I am so proud that we made it through this first year in one piece. Here are 12 random things I've learned over the past 12 months.

1. It really doesn't matter whether the formula is Enfamil, Similac or Good Start, if you are not breast feeding and are using formula, you can go with a doctor recommended brand or any brand you like. (Notice the word is brand in bold?  That's because the only difference between them is that - the brand.  But if your baby is allergic to this kind of  cow milk formula and needs a special diet like soy milk formula then none of these brands will work for your child.) When I first brought my baby home and the breastfeeding was giving us trouble, I went to Walgreens and felt so confused when I saw all the brands. I thought there was a specific one and I didn't know what that was so I felt stuck, I felt dumb and I almost panicked. Eventually, I realized it didn't matter. Not that day though.

2. For me, it is more comfortable to have the bassinet/crib, in our bedroom. It helps me feel secure.

3. I must always stand up for, speak for and protect my child. I can tell people not to kiss, hold, grab, pull, bite, swing around my baby and keep my baby away from shady people without feeling bad about it.

4. I carried my child to sleep for the first 4 months of his life, thereafter, he decided it was easier for him to fall asleep on his own in the crib. (Which surprised me but I was very thankful for) I didn't buy into the advice of don't always carry your baby & it's ok to let him cry for long periods of time. I did the total opposite. I didn't and still don't like the sound of my baby crying.

5. The one time I had to let my child cry for more than two minutes, (b/c I was cleaning a mess and then had to prepare his bottle) I was relieved when he didn't actually "blow up" as I had previously feared. There was just a bunch of boogies covering his upper lip and mouth. It was actually cute.

6. Rice cereal mixed with the formula and baby food is a time and headache saver. Since he was about 4 months, every single bottle had rice cereal added. When spoon feeding became a challenge, baby food mixed in there worked way better than having him slap the spoon out of my hand or spit out what just went in.

7. I am the best toy available to my child. I have tickled him so much that one of his favorite words, so far, is "tickle".

8. Aside from tummy time, I feel that babies do not need to be propped up to sit or walk. As their bodies grow and they become stronger, they will do it entirely on their own. I gave my child tummy time on our bed from 2 to 4 months but once the baby started rolling over, I left him in his crib to practice. Soon enough, at about 5 months, he would sit up on his own and eventually at 7 months, he started standing up and at 8 months, would walk around the crib. Then one day, I caught him! Not holding on to the railing!!! I placed him on the floor and off he went, WALKING, @ 10 months.

9. It is very important to be careful of your language around babies, the really do pick up on the sounds your most frequently used words. That's why when we are alone, I read to him. This way, I have something fun to chat about.

10. When around children that are the same age, they get ideas from each other and germs, so be ready & be proactive.

11. Its better to wake the baby up if they take a nap too late in the day than to let them sleep and consequently, keep you up the whole night.

12. As a stay at home mom, I have had a year of sacrificing a great deal when it comes to me. I see that some moms quickly claim "me time" & feel comfortable leaving their child with a sitter or family member. I feel as though my child is safest with me and when it comes to sacrifices, the way I see it especially after a year, is that they grow up fast and with so many milestones to look forward to, the sacrifices aren't really sacrifices..

Read full history - We made it through our first year, together.

Talking Babies

Babies love hearing your voice. When you answer your child's sounds with sounds of your own, she learns that what she "says" has meaning and is important to you.

What to Do

• Talk to your baby often. Answer her coos, gurgles, and smiles. Talk, touch, and smile back. Get her to look at you.
• Play simple talking and touching games with your baby. Ask, "Where's your nose?" Then touch her nose and say playfully, "There's your nose!" Do this several times, then switch to an ear or knee or tummy. Stop when she (or you) grows tired of the game.
• Change the game by touching the nose or ear and repeating the word for it several times. Do this with objects, too. When she hears you name something over and over again, your child begins to connect the sound with what it means.
• Do things that interest your baby. Vary your tone of voice, make funny faces, sing lullabies, and recite simple nursery rhymes. Play "peek-a-boo" and "pat-a-cake" with her.

Read full history - Talking Babies

Touchy Subject

Family

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I found this.. It's nice..




Sexual Feelings During Sexual Abuse by Kali Munro, M.Ed., Psychotherapist, 2004
Many sexual abuse survivors have trouble dealing with the fact that their body was sexually stimulated and felt aroused during the abuse. They may feel guilty and ashamed that they responded to the stimulation, and confused about why they did.
Feeling aroused during abuse is not an issue for every survivor. Some survivors never felt any kind of sexual arousal during the abuse. Others felt some sexual arousal, but readily accept that it didn't mean anything more than an automatic reflex response to touch. Still others experienced some pleasurable feelings in their bodies during the abuse, but because those feelings were overshadowed by the pain of the abuse, it isn't an issue for them either.
However, there are many survivors who are deeply affected by their bodies' natural responses. Some agonize over how their bodies responded to the stimulation; they experienced the sexual arousal as a humiliation, and believe it reflects negatively on them that their body responded at all. They perceive their body's response as a betrayal, with the abuser "winning," and they hate their bodies for it. This is compounded by the fact some abusers deliberately try to force a victim to have an orgasm so that the survivor will mistakenly believe that they wanted or enjoyed the abuse.
Other survivors enjoyed some of the bodily sensations that came from the stimulation, but feel guilty, ashamed, and/or secretive about that fact because they believe - or fear - that it means there is something wrong with them because they're "not supposed" to feel that way in the context of abuse. These survivors often keep their experience a secret for fear that no one will understand how they could have liked some parts of it.
Some gay survivors remark that it was only during sexual abuse that they became aware of the possibility of same-sex sexual activity, and while they know that what they experienced was abuse, they learned something about their sexuality, and may have liked some of the stimulation. It is very concerning that some gay youth only learn about same-sex sex in the context of abuse!
In all cases, if a survivor found some of the stimulation during the abuse pleasurable, it does not mean that it was not abuse, that they weren't hurt by it, that it wasn't serious, or that it had less impact. Abuse is abuse, regardless of how the victim's body responded. Further, for boys, achieving an erection does not necessarily mean that they are aroused; boys can have erections when they are afraid.

Why is this issue rarely addressed?
The impact of having been sexually stimulated or aroused during abuse is rarely addressed, and when it is it is given minimal attention. One reason why this is such a neglected subject is that we live in a culture that is uncomfortable with the thought that children can have sexual feelings at all, let alone during abuse. Many people like to think that children are asexual, and believe that those who suggest otherwise are sexual perverts. To further suggest that children who are sexually abused might experience some sexual arousal is to risk being viewed as promoting sexual abuse, or at very least minimizing it. But how are we to help survivors deal with this issue unless we are prepared to talk about it while not minimizing the abuse?
Just as it is shocking for many people to think that sexual abuse could lead a child to feel aroused or to feel pleasure in their body, it is equally, or perhaps more shocking, to survivors themselves to acknowledge this. Many survivors suffer about this issue in silence, wondering if their body's feelings and reactions meant that they liked, wanted, caused, or encouraged the abuse, or worse, made them as bad as the abuser.
I understand not wanting to talk about this issue for fear that it will fuel the argument that "sexual abuse isn't so bad because some kids like it" - a false argument which is used to minimize the impact of abuse. But by acknowledging that some children feel aroused reduces the emotional charge, or stigma, associated with it, and helps survivors to heal.
Feeling sexual arousal in the context of abuse does not mean that the abuse was okay, nor that the abuse did not negatively effect the victim. A parallel argument can be made that if the love of your life suddenly dies, and you receive tens of thousands of dollars from life insurance, money that you desperately need, this doesn't mean that you like the fact that your partner died or that you're not suffering from that loss. Liking that you have money to support you, or needing that money, does not change the basic fact of what happened, or how devastated you feel at the loss of your lover.

Children can feel sexual feelings
Given that children can feeling sexual feelings and can be sexual stimulated during abuse, it's understandable that some children like the feelings of sexual arousal that can happen during abuse, however, that does not mean that they enjoy the abuse nor want to be abused or stimulated in that manner; they enjoyed their body's natural reactions and sensations, and perhaps some aspects of how the perpetrator treated them. If the abuser gave them attention or was kind to them, that may have felt enjoyable too. It's also understandable if that child, later as an adult, feels upset if someone tells them that they couldn't have enjoyed any part of it because it was abuse. How does the adult survivor reconcile the reality that her/his body did feel sexual when they "weren't supposed" to? They feeling guilty and ashamed. On the other hand, it's also understandable if that adult survivor feels upset about her/his body having felt aroused since it occurred in the context of abuse.

How to deal with this issue
If you are a survivor and your body responded to the sexual stimulation during the abuse, it's important to find positive ways to reconcile that reality within yourself without concluding that you are "sick" or "bad," or that your body is. The first step is to acknowledge to yourself how your body felt, and later to a supportive and understanding person. Try to do this without judgement, but if you can't, simply telling yourself and someone else (who is non-judgemental) how you felt will help reduce some of the guilt, shame, isolation, and secrecy.
If you feel judgemental about yourself, remember that feelings are simply feelings, nothing more. They are not facts or statements; they do not say anything about you or anyone else, other than you are a fully feeling human being. It's normal to experience a range of feelings during abuse, and one of those feelings may be sexual. It might help to remember the other feelings you felt during or after the abuse, because you did not simply feel sexual feelings, but you also probably felt betrayal, sadness, fear, confusion, and hurt, even if you didn't realize that until you were much older.
There are different ways of thinking about this issue, and survivors have come up with different ways of dealing with it. Some survivors conclude that the arousal they experienced was a physiological reaction that had nothing to do with the perpetrator, and everything to do with their own body's natural responses. That is true. Others conclude that while there was some element of arousal that arose from the physical stimulation, the relationship with the perpetrator was important, and contributed to how they felt - for instance, they liked/loved the perpetrator, had a friendly relationship with her/him, felt taken care of during the abuse, and this led to feeling pleasure. They let go of their guilt or confusion by acknowledging that they felt a draw to the relationship out of their emotional needs, vulnerability, and/or neglect, and by recognizing that it was okay that they felt and responded that way.
Some survivors take the position that regardless of how they learned what they learned about their body and their sexuality (what they enjoy sexually, how to have an orgasm, that they are attracted to the same sex, etc.), they like what they know about their body and intend to enjoy it without guilt, because this knowledge is about them and their body, not the perpetrator. Even if they learned some of those things from what the perpetrator did, that doesn't mean that the perpetrator "owns" those things. They are the only ones who can own their body's responses and sexuality.
Some survivors find that they are able to accept their feelings of physical arousal, without judgement when they feel compassion for themselves, and other survivors include feeling compassion for their abusers. Their compassion helps them to let go of judgement, and to see themselves as the innocent children they were.
Some survivors find that feeling shame about having sexual feelings prevents them from fully processing their memories. As soon as they remember and feel sexual feelings, they distance themselves from the memory and can't go any further with it. They're stuck there, unable to release their emotions or fully process the memory. When they released some shame and could think about the whole incident(s) by writing the memory out or telling someone their story, they were able to step back and see the situation with a new perspective and understanding. That process helped them to accept what happened and feel at peace with themselves.
How you feel about having sexual feelings during the abuse (as well as when you remember the abuse and/or read about sexual abuse) has a direct impact on how you view the abuse and yourself, and what you think about the abuse affects how you feel, which is why it's important to work on releasing feelings and critiquing what you think. Some survivors need to think a lot about it first, and others need to feel their feelings first. If you're stuck in one mode, try the other mode. For example if you're stuck in the thinking mode, let yourself feel what you felt - then and now - without judgement. Your feelings will pass, in time, and that alone will help you to think about yourself with more objectivity and less judgement.

The abuser is responsible for the abuse, regardless of how you felt
No matter how you felt during the abuse or feel now, you are not responsible for the abuse. Even if you felt some pleasure or enjoyment; or you wanted some aspects to continue; or you were sexually attracted to the abuser; or you sought the abuser out, the abuser is always responsible for the abuse and not the child. Think about it this way: if a child sought you out for sexual stimulation, would you do it?
You are not to blame for what the abuser did, and you and your body are completely separate from the abuser. Even if it doesn't feel that way, it's still true. It doesn't matter what your body did or didn't do; you and your body were simply coping as best you could given the circumstances (which might have included a larger context of neglect and/or other forms of abuse and dysfunction too).
It helps to heal by acknowledging how you truly felt and how your body responded, to think about positive ways of interpreting those responses, to not judge yourself, to place the responsibility for the abuse on the abuser, and to view your body separately from the abuse and the abuse. Other things you can do to feel more comfortable with your body and sex include: being gentle with your body; holding and massaging emotionally charged areas with your hand and having a partner hold and massage the area as well (this will help the area to let go of some of the emotional charge - the feelings associated with the abuse); gently stroking any area of your body that defends, tightens, numbs, or otherwise reacts to sexual touch; taking sex slowly and stopping when you need to; breathing; laughing; and having fun with sex, touch, and holding. You are meant to - and can - enjoy your body and all of its beautiful sensations during sex.

It's possible to heal Experiencing sexual feelings during abuse is not something anyone should have to feel guilty about. Children feel what they feel during abuse, including sexual feelings, and there is nothing wrong with that. For some survivors the fact that they felt sexually aroused in an abuse context is embarrassing or shameful to admit but the more survivors - in fact, all of us - talk about this issue, the easier and less shameful it becomes. When we talk openly about something, we take away its power or emotional charge. Survivors reduce the emotional charge, connected to this issue, by talking/writing/drawing about it; not listening to anyone who tells them how they "should" feel; acknowledging and accepting how they felt and feel; recognizing that none of their feelings make them crazy or bad, or like the abuser; and by fostering compassion and understanding for themselves and their body. It's possible to feel better about this issue - one tiny step at a time.

Kali Munro, © 2004
Edited by Cheryl Rainfield
All rights reserved.
If you would like to reprint this article on your website, you may, providing you print it in its entirety, credit me, and give a link to my site - www.KaliMunro.com - I'd love to know, too!
 

Read full history - Touchy Subject

Mom's are busy.

It never hit me, until I became one. Mom's are busy. So for the sake of the moms reading this, I'll keep everything short and sweet. Truth is, I won't have much time to complete this if it weren't short and sweet. I'm not a single mom, however my son's father and I have no family nearby to help out. Children are a blessing. They warm your heart everyday, but it takes a lot of work.

What I love about motherhood so far is that everything comes so naturally. No one told me what to do really. I did some research and the rest was learn as you go (consulting the good ole google). So if you are freaking out about motherhood, don't. Just take it easy, take a deep breath and tell yourself, this stage won't last forever.



Here's my view of motherhood. I've learned that there's a mommy in me and she is a super woman. One thing that really helps is ONLINE SHOPPING! Why? Because I don't have to worry about getting the baby ready, heading out, purchasing items, and getting them back home. I'd much rather wait on UPS to ring the bell.

Read full history - Mom's are busy.