Monthly Archives: June 2014

The fantasy gift

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My child had a moving up ceremony on Friday. That’s because in our school district, Kindergarten to 2nd grade is in one building…3rd to 6th grade is in another. Sophia will be going to the “big” girl school in September. From what I hear it’s a lot less bright and cheery. Apparently, they treat the kids like they are no longer babies and expect more from them. I’m not sure if I like that idea. I think eight years old is still pretty young to be thrown into a more mature atmosphere but then again time will only tell.

After the moving up ceremony we celebrated with family, hit the beach and then had dinner by the water. It was a great day ending with lots of presents. Sophia received lots of wonderful gifts including a little mermaid kite from her grandmother, a new necklace and lots of books from her dad and I……but the gift she got from her aunt put the biggest smile on her face.

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My sister got her a mermaid tail she can use at the pool. Sophia has always had a fascination with mermaids. The Little Mermaid has always been her favorite Princess. She always wants to know if mermaids are real. I usually say “I don’t know, what do you think? They may be real. They are magical!”
Her beautiful dark eyes widen and she responds with “of course they are mommy and one day I’m going to find out how to turn into a magical mermaid!”
The mermaid tail helps her use her imagination to live that magical fantasy.
Childhood in itself is magical and so are our children. I sometimes look at her and smile at my great luck!”
She is magic!
How do you feel about letting your child live a fantasy?

Little girls of summer

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Summer is here and kids are looking to dress light and comfortable. Here are two little girls that are doing exactly that! My daughter Sophia’s BFF Brooklyn is wearing a great little tank dress with white, light pink and dark pink ruffles on the skirt. She has a sweet little pink flower as an accent on the top portion of the dress. Sophia has paired a patriotic tank with the appropriate jean shorts for an all American look. Notice that I mention that it’s an “appropriate” pair of jean shorts.

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I’ve been noticing a disturbing trend lately. Lots of young girls and some young women are donning very short shorts. They are so short and tight that nothing is left to the imagination. The first couple of times I noticed this look I thought it was random….but it seems to be a trend that is being sported by the average girl. You can spot them at the malls, on the streets of every neighborhood and even at schools. This is a trend I would love to squash! The feminist in me is outraged that once again fashion designers are objectifying women! That being said I don’t understand how these teenage girls are walking out of their homes in little sexy hot pants! Why are their parents allowing them to dress this way? What does it say about our society when little girls are dressed so provocatively? How does it make them feel about themselves? It scares me when scantly clad girls in music videos and celebrities like Miley Cyrus have more influence on our girls then we do. My child is very young so I’m able to make sure that she isn’t exposed to music videos but she still notices all the girls wearing these very short shorts! Call me old fashioned but little girls should dress like little girls.
Unfortunately it’s hard to find sweet little outfits for my daughter. I have to go out of my way to find clothes that are appropriate. I also avoid very trendy looks like skulls on everything and high heels. Yes, they make them for kids. I want my little girl to enjoy being young, innocent and sweet for as long as I can. I also want her to respect her body and never allow herself to be objectified.
How do you feel about the new barely there shorts? Sound off and let me know.

My little man is finally here!

Aside


The birth of a child is the most amazing journey.  It’s almost like an out of body experience.  As a mother, you feel your baby growing and moving inside your body for months. You bond with the baby even before they are born. The first time I set eyes on my daughter I felt an intense sense of joy. It was euphoric. It seemed impossible that the sweet baby I was looking at was really mine.  A child is the greatest gift, a miracle.

Being a mother changed me both physically and emotionally.  Aside from the obvious changes to my body, I felt completely different emotionally. I worry about my daughter all the time.  Am I feeding her the most nutritious meals? Am I being too much of a helicopter mom? Am I doing enough to prepare her for life? These are just some of the thousands of worries I have.
Granted not all moms are as crazy as I am but,  I am what I am!  With all the worrying comes many sleepless nights. In fact I haven’t had a really good nights sleep since her birth.

Becoming a parent has also helped me see my parents in a different light. Somehow all the craziness and the control they wanted to have over me now makes sense. You become so protective over your child. It’s the most difficult and yet, the most rewarding job in the world.

Last week my youngest brother and his wife had their first child. He is a perfect baby. At 8 pounds, 21 inches he has a mop of dark hair and beautiful eyes like his mom. The rest of him looks a lot like my brother and my daughter too.

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Next to my daughter’s birth my nephew coming into this world has been the most amazing experience of my life. I never expected to love him the way that I do.  I just never thought I would ever feel the same sense of protectiveness that I feel for my own child, but I do.  I get to love him, spoil him and always be there for him. I’m sure I’ll worry about him but raising him is his parents job. Now I get to sit back and enjoy seeing my brother take on the role of a father. That in itself is surreal! I get to see the joy in my parents eyes as they love him and look forward to another grandchild to visit them. My nephew connects two families together. He will change the dynamics of the family for the better, and connects his parents in a way that is even deeper than marriage.
I’m feeling blessed to be an aunt.
Welcome to the world my little man, I love you to the moon and back!

Cousins

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Growing up some of my fondest memories are those with my extended family. Grandparents, aunts, uncles and my cousins. I had a lot of fun and I got into a lot of mischief with my cousins. To this day, whenever we’re together even if it’s after many years, it’s as if we were never apart. Childhood memories flood through my mind. I have a sense of euphoria, a happiness that I only share with them. It’s a connection that’s unique and filled with memories of happy carefree days.
I feel blessed to have such amazing cousins and experiences. They’re my first friends and will forever remain in my life. I wish that for my child, so every opportunity I get I make sure she spends it with her cousins even if it means we take a three hour trip to Connecticut to see two sweet little girls!
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Friends come and go. If we are lucky we have a handful of friends for a lifetime that love us even at our worst. That is rare and special.
Cousins are stuck with us, well mine are anyway. They can’t get rid of me even if they try!
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My daughter is very much like me. She has such love for her cousins. It’s a special bond we want to nurture, especially because she is an only child.
How do you feel about your cousins? We are planning on spending a lot of time this summer making wonderful new memories with ours.

Daddy’s Little Girl.

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Sitting by the window waiting for daddy. That’s what my daughter does every Tuesday and Thursday. They’re the only days of the week that my husband comes home in time to have dinner with us. The rest of the week he works well past Sophia’s bedtime. Every morning she stands by the window waving and screaming “I love you daddy. Have a great day. Bye, bye!” Then she turns to me and says mommy, I miss my daddy so much!  When Friday comes around she squeaks with delight because she will finally get to spend “a whole two days with daddy!”

It brings me so much joy to see my child so in love with her dad. At the same time it makes me a bit jealous. She never gets excited to see me, she never jumps up for joy when I tell her we are going to be spending one on one time together. She clearly is daddy’s little girl.

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When I was little my dad spent lots of time carrying me on his shoulders. I was so attached to him that getting out of the house to go to work in the mornings became difficult for him. He would have to sneak out. If I saw him leaving I would throw a fit. I was definitely daddy’s little girl. Things changed between us when I hit my teenage years. Let’s just say he was a very strict and scary dad but I always knew he loved me. During one of our heated arguments he cried and told me he loved me and only wanted the best for me. Seeing him in tears broke my heart but it also felt good to see him show his emotions. It was out of character for him. We went through many years not having much of a connection but in time we lulled back into a more harmonious relationship. Once I got married and had my child I saw just how much he loved me. I also understood why he was so protective. My dad has always been there to share in my joys and sadness. He is not perfect, but he has always loved us and been a solid anchor for his family. I realize my father is a human being with faults just like the rest of us.
My daughter sees her dad as a superhero, a prince, the most amazing man in the world. One day she will grow up and see him for the wonderful human being that he is, faults and all.
The important part is to love each other, accept each other and continue to make great memories together.
There is still a part of me that thinks my father is a man of steel.
Happy Fathers Day to all the daddy’s who are lucky enough to raise wonderful little girls.

Anticipation

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A-n-t-i-c-i-p-a-t-i-o-n, a feeling of excitement about something that is going to happen. The day I had my child is one of the most amazing days of my life. Now my brother and his wife are about to have their first child. I’m excited for them and for our families. I’m about to have a nephew, and my vocabulary isn’t deep enough to express how thrilled I am about this new little being! From the moment I knew he existed I have loved him.

We are anticipating his birth. I’m not usually a very patient person but there’s nothing like spending nine months thinking about this tiny new life to infuse waiting with happiness. Now that he is past the day he was to be born, I am bursting at the seams to meet this little baby.

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I happen to be blessed with lots of aunts and uncles. I love them all but some of them are more special than others. They’ve left me with amazing memories and lots of love and guidance. I look to them for comfort and share with them my joys and pains. I feel at home with them. I feel special. I hope my nephew feels the same about me.  

I think of all the ways my daughter’s aunts and uncles have enhanced her life. They are the people that make her feel like she is a princess. They are the ones that make a big deal about her milestones. Birthdays, graduations, piano recitals are all so much more special because of them.  They spend time really getting to know her. They play with her, they read to her and talk to her about things she only shares with them. They mean a great deal to her and she to them.

I remember the first day my daughter met my sister-in-law. I knew that it was important to my brother that my Sophia liked his new love. My brother and my daughter have always had a special connection. Thankfully, she loved her new aunt from the moment she met her! She has great taste, as does my brother.

I know there are lots of aunts and uncles who don’t take the task too seriously, but that’s not the case with us. This little baby has aunts and uncles on both sides waiting to embrace, protect, love and guide him along with his parents.

The beauty of being an aunt is that I can love him, spoil him and make him feel special without the burden of disciplining him. That’s something that his parents will have to do.

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As I wait and anticipate, I think of the miracle that you are my little one. You are loved by so many even before your arrival. Your mother has nurtured you, your father adored you, your grandparents, aunts and uncles all love you.

Until the day you come…..we wait happily with anticipation.

 

 

 

Deep Rooted

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I’ve always been a creative person but somehow motherhood has left little time for creativity. I mean you have to be creative to get your child to eat the right way, to behave the right way but that’s not the kind of creativity I was looking for. I wanted to do something for myself, so I started taking art classes. I knew I would enjoy taking the class but I never imagined just how much I would get out of it. Not only did I get in touch with my culture, most of the ladies I take class with are Persian. I also made amazing new friends. The class is therapeutic for me. We meet once a week for three hours. During the class we share stories of our lives, we talk about music and art. Sometimes we paint silently and just go into our own little world. Creating art helps me to express myself . The first few months of  class I only used paper and pencil. Just learning to sketch was incredible. .
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I love creating faces. I don’t know why but I’m fascinated by the human face. I especially like to draw eyes.
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I find myself sketching faces when I’m on the phone or if I’m just sitting around. I especially love looking at, and sketching eyes. There’s an old English proverb that states, “the eyes are the window to the soul.” It’s basically saying that by looking deeply into a person’s eyes, you can tell who they truly are on the inside.

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I did this sketch a while ago. It’s got to be one of my favorites. After a couple of months I began to paint with acrylic. The feeling of filling a white canvas with vibrant color is spectacular! I get lost in my work. I put a lot of my emotions in it. It’s a completely freeing experience.  I just finished painted something for Mother’s Day. The painting is of a woman who has what seems to be a tree growing out of her face. Take some time to really look at the painting. How do you interpret it? How does it make you feel?
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For me, it embodies all that a woman goes through in life. I see my mother. I see all the love, the struggles, the pain she experienced in her life. I see her deep rooted connections to her family. I see her strength and her perseverance. I almost feel the strong hold it has on me and on my daughter. Every branch, is a part of her experiences, every leaf is a new lesson, a spiritual growth. Her life is connected to her ancestors, her roots embedded deep inside her.