Julian is ok, thank God! Just got off the phone with him. He says his mouth feels much better now and he is hungry. He wants a sandwich.

He sounded tired. With all the antihistamine in the system, he will definitely be asleep as soon as he lands on his bed. I am just greatfull for medicine and science and everything else that comes with it.

Goodnight all, and thanks for your prayers!

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I can’t sit still, my husband won’t even pick up the phone. He probably doesn’t want to wreck that car. I gave Julian a tootsie roll, i should know better you know…Damn It, Damn it. I should know better….Went through the ingredients, i was just scanning for peanuts and i missed the skim milk. can you believe that, missed the skim milk.

He wanted a treat before bed. I didn’t want to give him any, then i saw he brought home a stash of candy from school and i gave him the fruit flavored tootsie roll. He came to me and said ,” mommy i need some water my tongue doesn’t feel so good…” i looked up and i knew… His eyes shot red, i had him stick his tongue out it was swollen with hives, and when he stuck it back down he started closing out and the constant cough as if he was choking.

I couldn’t remember how to use the epipen i went through two then i remembered how. he cut himself because i didn’t restrain his hand, he pulled the needle out, but his throat opened again he started gasping for air. I gave him some benadryl as well just in case he didn’t get enough of the epinephrine.

Now his dad is taking him to the ER. He has had toostie rolls before, BUT today he had the flu shot, and i forgot. The flu shot has eggs which he allergic to, but he can be ok and he needs it due to asthma. I guess with that in his system and that milk in that tootsie roll and God knows what else was in it, sent a serious allergic reaction.

Oh dearest God, i pray for Julian. I know he will be ok because of your grace and mercy.

For all families dealing with allergies, don’t for a second take anything for granted, don’t you dare relax because nothing happened the last time… It can change in a second.

Pray for us tonight.

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It has been ages since i last came back here, to my own blog. God has been great in our lives. The last 6 months flew by and every single day was a revelation of what God can do for you when you ask, and believe.

Julian is in Kindergarten now, and he has grown into this wonderful, little man that can sit and have a conversation with us. He loves school, but he misses his best friend who had to go to another school this year.

We read 150 books to date since summer. We joined the summer library reading program this year and we got hooked. Every Saturday morning we are at the library to get our new books for the week. He is now reading very well, and can actually correct us when we do not pronounce some words right It is amazing how much kids soak in when you let them learn.

Eli, what can i say…He is my last born, and i tell you he challenges me in ways that Julian never really had. He is so vibrant, energetic, stubborn, and moving along at his own pace. There’s so much to work with him. He is so independent, i am having to slow him down, pray more for him than i ever prayed for myself. I am telling myself, this Terrible two stage will never last forever…or so i hope!

See, no matter how many buttons he successfully pushes me, he just manages to melt my heart with those eyes, and mischief. God i love Eli!

Julian has done so much for me this last 6 months when his dad was away. I feel like he was used so many times to be this little angel on earth, for me. There are so many times, i would be tired, or stressed , or just worried and he would just come out and tell me exactly what i needed to hear , and jumpstart me for the day.

Thursday afternoon, i picked himup from school after a busy day, he run so fast towards me, jumped into my arms , threw his arms so tight around my neck, looked into my eyes and said to me ” mommy, i am soo happy you are my mom. You are the best mom in the whole world. I love you so much mom” I got choked, swallowed it, and let’s just say, that was one of the best days of my life. Nothing can beat that!

My hubby is back home now. He is my best friend, i am elated! The boys are very happy to have him home too. We didn’t realize how much his trip affected Julian, till now. He made his dad promise he won’t leave him again. He is following him everywhere he goes. His dad has to put him to bed too because he is scared if he sleeps, his dad will be gone when he wakes up.

We are all glad he is home, safe and sound.

When you are a family, not having a family member around is definitely a challenge, but with God’s grace you can make it through anything!

Hug and love your loved ones tonight.

Have a great week!

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For every man out there that has earned this title , either by having a child or by being a father figure in someone’s life i wish you a happy father’s day! Also not forgetting the single mothers who are having to step in those shoes and becoming both moms and father figures in their kids lives…Hope you are having a great day!

I hope you were able to spend some time with your family, and i hope you felt proud today, for being that person that makes that little or old son or daughter in your life heart pump with love and happiness when you “show” up when they call upon you.

I miss my dad today. I tried calling him several times, but could not reach him – blame it on cell phone service in Kilimanjaro or who knows power issues too? So i didn’t get to talk to my daddy today so i can tell him how much i love him and appreciate all he has done for me. See he instilled in me  great values. Education was a very much stressed topic in our household, i can’t tell you how much our school perfomance went hand in hand with our wants. You had to bring home good grades in order to get that new pair of shoes you wanted etc.

He taught me to work hard in everything i want in life. When the other kids in elementary school would go home and play after school, i was in the shop working. Working became part of life. I learned to work hard.

He always told me, the sky was the limit for me and that to never forget that it is never too late to reach out and go for what i want in life. So dad, i love you and as grown as i am a lot of what you taught me, i am passing them down to my boys. It makes sense, and it works. I hope i will get through tonight , so i can tell you again, how much you mean to me.

For my husband, i miss you soo much and i can tell the boys miss you too. It sucked you weren’t here today in person to spend time with them. Julian made you a father’s day card, i will mail it to you. I know he talked to you this morning and wished you a happy father’s day, but still it would have been great to see you.

I miss talking to you daily. You are my best friend. I miss complaining to you. I miss how you always had the right thing to say, and made sense. So Julian said you need to come home, and i think he is right…Miss you a lot!

Fathers don’t ever underestimate the power you have over your children’s lives. Your presence, your words, your life. Live everyday knowing that you are shaping up the path and the life of someone else, and it is difficult, and almost impossible to be perfect, but do what you can and just be there. Some of you may have relations where you are not sure your kids would want you there anyway, but show up they may not say it but their hearts warm up inside, just by your presence.

Happy father’s day 2011!

Sophia

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Dear Eli,

Happy birthday my little man. You turned 2 years old today, and mommy is as happy as can be. I am soo proud of you. I am honored to be your mom, and this morning when you woke me up again with that kiss on my cheek, i couldn’t keep that smile off my face. I know it was very early but as always, you got me with the kiss, i had to wake up and let you have cake that early in the morning.

Everything you do now is big. You have been giving us big kisses, big hugs, big smiles, and a loud squealing cry, yes you are loud…you do wake the neighbors that is for sure, but Eli i can’t imagine it any other way, you won’t be Eli then.

You sure do know how to keep moving. You are always on the go. I love how you entertain yourself. I love your independent spirit. I love your soft heart. I love how you love your big brother. I love that SMILE. I love your love for food, i hope that doesn’t change any time soon.

You pretty much have a mouth full of teeth now. You are learning to speak. You love books, puzzles, and the outdoors. You love shoes. I am actually glad that you do, because that is definitely one thing i can claim you got from me. I love that you can actually put on your own shoes.

You make Julian scream or cry at least once a day. You sneak up on him and take away something from his hands. You sometime take away his food and run to eat it, but he always chase after you and get his stuff back. You then run to me crying, and i always remind you to play nice with your brother. You hit Julian, he doesn’t like hitting you back because he still sees you as his little brother, of late though he has started spanking you back as you are getting stronger and you hurt him. So that is how you get in trouble with mommy.

Your favorite letters in the alphabet are K and O. You always  bring them to me and say them out loud to me, at least 2 or 3 times a day. You officially now know the letters that make up your name. Last night you put them in order during bath time. No worries we will keep on learning some more.

You met your grandma and grandpa , auntie and uncles for the first last year, and they LOVED you. Your grandma said i could leave you with him if i wanted, because  she loves feeding people, am afraid i take after her. All she wanted to do is feed you, and all you wanted to do is eat.

You love going to church. You love playing in the nursery at church. I tell you baby, i am so grateful you do, because i do look forward to uninterrupted church service.

You started daycare for the first time this year, and you have adjusted great. You run through the doors to school and you stop to give me kisses and wave goodbye, honey this gives me a peace of mind at work the whole day. I look forward to coming to pick you up, as you RUN to me and i get a tap dance treat and your beaming smile daily.

Your daddy is away right now in Tanzania and i know you miss him. He wasn’t home to celebrate your birthday, but i love when he skypes and you are busy kissing his face of the computer. Or when i have him on the speakerphone and you take the phone and run all over the house just saying Hiiiiii Daaaad, and of course getting the phone back from you is always difficult.

You use your dad’s MAC, and Julian play’s on his own PC. You now know how to use the mouse and you have ruined your dad’s keyboard. The space bar no longer works, i unplug the keyboard and just let you think you are actually using all your ten fingers on the keyboard while looking at the screen. Then you move the mouse you see the pointer move then you keep on pressing keys on the keyboard. I let you play with friends on PBSKids and NickJr and you love curious george and Diego.

There is so much to say, but mommy will save that for another day. I wish you a great year. I pray for blessings for you, i pray for your safety and good health. I pray for kindness, love, and that mommy will have the wisdom, patience, and  strength to raise you to be a kind, intelligent, Godly man.

I hope you are happy. I am very happy with you. I love you with all my heart.

Happy Birthday baby,

Love,

Mommy.

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It’s 9 pm Sunday night and it is all quiet, the boys are fast asleep, i have most of the things ready for tomorrow as it is back to busy working mom week again.

I had the pleasure of spending 8 days with Julian and Eli, i haven’ spent this much time with them since Eli was born, and i tell you everyday was a learning day for all 3 of us.

We spent a lot of time on adventures. We did something exciting everyday, we just had a blast. We visited several places to got to with kids in Kansas City daily, and  after church today, i let them officially rest at home before summer camp and mommy going back to work tomorrow.

I tell you there were fun times, screaming matches, Eli and Julian fighting, time outs, taking away favorite things and all, but today really ended great.

Eli saw me putting drops in Julian’s eyes ( for allergies) and usually of course that never goes smoothly Julian doesn’t sit still, Eli ran across the room, and started kissing Julian he held his right had and kept on kissing it, then i put the first drop Julian lifted his leg, Eli held his leg and kissed his knee, then patted him on the shoulder…It was soo sweet to see that, given that he has been making Julian cry or scream all week.  Brothers i guess always stick together.

No matter how much they fought, the love they have for each other is indescribable. Julian doesn’t like to hear Eli cry, of course only if it was due to him making him cry he always jump to his rescue, always hugs on him and pats his head telling him it will be ok.

This week i spend time with each one of the boys alone daily. With Eli, i taught him his alphabets. We did a lot of floor puzzles, and of course we got to read before nap time as well. Today he put together his ABC puzzle all by himself, i was really proud of him. He can say some of the letters out loud, and of course Julian was by his side cheering him on.

With Julian we worked on self expression, and his eating. He is still a picky eater, however i just found out this week how much he loves pasta and Macaroni. I don’t make that a lot at home, i always stuck to what i knew he would eat, we were grocery shopping and he picked that and they were a big hit! He would never eat anything with any color, but even big chunks of tomatoes and some little bits of broccoli didn’t stop him.  I guess children, everyday they surprise you.

I know every parent has their own parenting style, but overall, we can all agree there is nothing as important as having established some ground rules for your children to follow daily. Having some kind of a daily routine, so they can always expect what is coming.

There were moments when all that came out of my mouth was stop this, stop that etc, but there were a lot of smiles, laughs, kisses and hugs.

I am so happy we got this week together, we all needed it. I truly believe, Eli learned to really play with Julian, and Julian got to really spend time with his little brother, and see him as his little friend.

I hope you are having a great summer, take time to spend with your family. Enjoy every moment with your children, they grow up so fast!

Have a great week!

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I hope all of you are having a great day with family and friends. I am home with the boys.

Julian Graduated PreK on May 26, and boy oh boy was mommy proud. He graduated with a certificate in reading and writing.

His teacher had put together a journal of all his work throughout the year and i sat on the floor went through everything and i mean it amazes me how far along he has came. He writes better that me for sure at that age.

Eli is taking his nap now, he has grown into this strong little munchkin, has a fight in him always. I tell you boys will always be boys. When he is up Julian is given quite a workout!

So I will be spending the whole week with them and i have a plan for everyday of the week. We will do something new.

Saturday we went to the Lakeside Nature Center and it was great to look at all the animals they had there and Julian be able to take that all in and us turning that into our own adventure.

Sunday after church we had  lunch at home, after Eli’s nap we went to the Nelson-Adkins Art Museum, we were indoors for like 15min but most our time we spent outdoors and it was awesome. It was a hot day about 89 degrees, but the breeze from the trees and the little steps for the kids to walk in  and just take in to all nature was awesome, we never felt the heat. We will definitely go back there and have a picnic.

Today we walk up early and went for a walk at Macken park before it got hot, they got to play outside for a while, then we had a picnic lunch on our floor at home. Eli is taking a nap right now,  and Julian is coloring cutting out shapes.

He will be going to summer discovery program through the school, they will get to be on a lot of field trips, so am excited for him.

As for me, it has been some hard work, adjustment, but it all pays off. Motherhood, there is nothing like it!

Hope you all have a  great day and week!

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It is 8:30pm  The boys were sleep by 715pm. So I can finally come here and and wish all the wonderful women out there a Happy Mother’s Day.

Mother’s young or old, living or past on, believe it or not you have or have had the toughest job there ever can be, and you do it to the best of your ability.

My boys go to school, so with the help of their wonderful teachers, they were able to make me the most beatiful cards with the kindest words that bring tears to any soul  and i loved them!

I got the best hugs and kisses from them and Julian told me how much he loved me. Eli can’t say the words yet, but i can see them in his eyes. I go pick him up from school everyday and his teacher says she looks forward to watching him run to me everyday. He runs over anyone and anything on his way to get to me. When that door opens he runs towards me, stops and do this dance, it looks like tap dancing, with his hands between his knees and his face looking down while he is laughing his head off, then finally runs to me and throws his tiny hands around me and squeezes the breath out of himself….I tell you, that i look forward to everyday. I know, how much i am loved!

This two little men, without any doubt, i know i am that woman in their life. I have been blessed!

17-lessons-from-my-children

No matter what i may be going through in life, I know Julian and Eli have made me a better person. They have given me more than i could ever ask for. Sure i say No a lot more now, i say things like…Don’t you dare touch that, Don’t make me come get you…, on not again!, no more computer, sit on that table till that plate is empty…yeah and many more…

I am guilty of using Orios  to get potty time. I have used Jelly beans to get all veggies in their belly..See it is all part of being a mom. It is not always easy. No matter how soft, sweet or strict you are or get, sometime you just have to stoop down and bend a rule for a greater result.

See my husband is away right now, so he didn’t get to do anything for me for mother’s day…which was ok, i got to spend time with my other 2 main men in my life. Yesterday a friend of ours surprised me, by giving me the day off so i could go do whatever i wanted while he watched the boys for me. That was the greatest present you can ever give any parents, i swear guys.. If you are reading this post today and you know new parents out there single or a couple, sometime all they really want or could use is some personal time. So do it for someone you know, you would have sown some great seeds out there, and the reward here is just gratitude and trust me, i know i would never forget! As though that wasn’t enough my Eli slept through the night for the first last night, so it has been a great weekend for this mama here.

So for the mother’s out there, i pray that you have a wonderful day today. May you come to the realization that, God chose you to raise your little Angel(s) in your life. He knew only you could handle that task. He knew you were strong enough to handle whatever comes your way. Some days you may feel like you do not have that strenghth, but trust me look above for he will give you that and more. I pray for all of you that are having health problems, i pray for healing in your lives, i pray that God gives you the patience, grace, understanding and wisdom, financial provisions, so you can raise your family as best as you can.

Stay strong and Stay Blessed!

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So Eli had never been to daycare till now at 21 months, so week one was a huge adjustment for him, the drop offs were hard, but as the days go by he is getting better. He still holds on to me, hanging on to me so tight, cries a bit but we are at the point, he walks through the doors, with his head turning towards me so i can wave goodbye and blow him some mama kisses.

This evening when i picked him up, i was overjoyed. I could tell he had a good day. He saw me through the window and i tell you if that window wasn’t too high for him he was going to jump to get to me.

The door opened and he run over his teacher and came crashed into my arms laughing, almost crying – the happy cry and just wrapped his little hands  around my neck and just smiled.  I squeezed the dear life out of him, ha ha ha.  I loved it. He kept on looking at me, laughing, hugging me, and i looked at him and said ..” i always tell you i will come back to get you, see, i came back” and he just giggled some more.

It is moments like this that make life so pleasant

So, we went to the school section to pick up Julian, here he comes with one of the teachers arm in arm with another little boy in his class…so ,  i knew right away from that look in his face, he was in trouble! He was in a fight in school, well he couldn’t really tell me why the two of them fought, i know the teacher said she would notify both parents. Let’s just say i went all “African” on him in front of all his friends, and also made him hug the other boy. Reluctantly, but he still did.

I know i embarrassed him, because his whole evening kind of just went south after that. He refused to eat dinner, he said he was sleepy, and went to bed early. I managed to distract Eli while i read to him alone, we talked about what had happened in school, and why i did what i did. He said he was sorry and that he won’t do it again. My hope he will learn from this, and that before he gets into another fight he will remember when i hear about it, there will be consequences. He is still young, but habits are best nipped in the bud.

I plan on meeting with his teacher to find out more.

We did talk about his upcoming birthday, and of course he wants to invite all his friends, including the little boy that he fought with. I was happy to hear that:)

I am not going to lie that i don’t feel bad about the whole thing, as i do feel guilty for being so hard on him. I mean, as parents, it is the never ending. You know in your heart you are doing the right thing, but you always question yourself. I know i have to constantly remind myself, that i am the parent. I need to be not only the mom, but also the disciplinarian,  if i don’t set boundaries and expectations now,  i mean who will the society blame the most, if he turns out not to have good behavior. As painful as it may feel right now, it has to be done, to help him become a better person, and i just have to accept that.

It is almost 9pm, both boys are fast asleep. I am thankful for today, thankful for good health, and i appreciate all the little moments, good or bad. I take them all in, and i pray that I become a better person, and able to  make the right choices as well,  so i can do right by my children everyday.

I hope you are having a good week, Goodnight and God bless!

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You know, if there is one thing for certain in life is change. It is inevitable. It is all around us, so if there is one thing anyone can take and learn is the ability to adapt. Trust me, that can get you through anything.

I have found myself overjoyed,  challenged, stressed, gracious, certain, peaceful, and in tears. Yeah it all fits, especially if you are human.

I am thankful for my friends, family, and my children, they have  given me so much, they have filled my days with all the above and everyday is a day of adventure.

My husband went overseas and we definitely miss him. I have a lo of respect for all the single parents, i mean men or women, i mean my heart go out to you all, it is a lot of work. When both parents are home, you take the little deeds for granted, till you have to do it all.  I guess it makes me appreciate him even more.

My son Julian made me shed some tears today. I wanted him to go to bed, but of course like any typical 4 year old he had to argue his case, i got snippy with him and gave him a mini lecture. When i was done he said ok mommy now i have something to say too, so i said ok… He said mommy you need to be nicer to people , i need you to play more with me, ok? I need  you to tell Eli to wait in his room so you can read me my story, ok? I listen mommy, ok?…” I just lost it.

I know he feels it , now that his dad is away. I used to have daddy occupy Eli while we had our one on one before bed, now of course, the ever handful, Eli is usually glued to mommy everywhere. You know when mothers say they feel guilty when there is a new addition because they feel like the older kids don’t get enough attention…man, they do have a point. I am definitely going to come back to blogging, otherwise i am going to be an emotional wreck…

I stood on my kitchen, holding a warm cup of tea and i closed my eyes and said a little prayer, I thanked God for it all, and asked for strength, patience, and for a way through it all, for he can never give us anything we can’t handle. He always make ways through the impossible situations. He places people in our lives for every purpose, and no matter the obstacles  there is nothing that he can’t handle. He is the power.

So if you are reading my diary today, and you are in some kind of a situation where no matter how small or big, just know that there is nothing that you can’t do, just dig deeper within you, or your faith, and some situations may get worse , but remember no matter how bad things are, they always get better.

Enjoy your family, hold and kiss your kids, and always remind them of how much you love them.

Have a great weekend!

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