Family is All We Got!!!

My husband uses this motto for our family business and functions that he hosts with his first cousins but recently I am finding the substance behind this phrase.  At the end of the day, when all the chips fall, family is the ones that are suppose to be there for you and understand you without you even saying a word.  My dad loved his family.  Many of the decisions he made, although I did not understand it at the time, I see now was for the benefit of his family.  He was proud of his family and if you knew my dad, he was proud to be a "Pegues."  I am proud that my oldest son, Jevaughni will get to carry this family name to the next generation.  I recently connected with other members of the Pegues family through Facebook.  Although I found them by the death, I am hoping that we can now stay connected.  My cousin reminded me today, that my dad is probably looking down from heaven and proud that we found members of the Pegues family.  Yes, because "Family is All We Got."

Wedding Season

This year has been a year full of wedding ceremonies.  I am so happy for the couples, although the people getting married this year that my husband and I were honored to share in their days, have been together for years and decided in 2011 to make it official.  I love the whole concept of marriage especially when you are blessed to have that "special someone" designed by God just for you.  My husband pulled out our wedding ceremony videos last night and we watched together.  It was amazing to see how he looked at me as I was about to be his wife and although we have faced trials and tribulations, we stayed together and at times even with our hectic lives, I can still see the love and admiration in his eyes from time to time.  I wish all the newlyweds of 2011, a happy continuation in their life journey together as "Man and Wife."

Job Security - A Thing of the Past

My heart hurts everytime I watch the news and hear of layoffs and companies going bankrupt.  As a person that was "let go" from a job, I know first hand how these former employees feel.  How in the world is $415 going to provide for you and if you have a family this is a joke.  And the government still expects to get their money off the top in taxes.  Where is the decency behind this?  I grew up believing that if I did well in school and went to college, I would be in a great position to find a job.  Good work ethic would allow me to keep a job.  All of those statements proved to be myths.  Even with a graduate degree, I still walk into my workplace everyday not knowing if today is my last day.  And so what message do I convey to my kids.  The future is not looking very bright for them.  Even the "safe jobs" are not the case anymore.  Teachers, firefighters, police......we always need these professionals right?  Not in today's society.  These jobs are being cut faster than any others.  I feel so helpless and lost.  I guess being in business for yourself is the best way to go but you will only be successful if there are people to buy your product and the only way this will happen is if people have jobs.  Our economy is in trouble and I pray that God continues to watch over us in our time of need.

Relationship with God

Happy Moments - Praise God

Difficult Moments - Seek God

Quiet Moments - Worship God

Painful Moments - Trust God

Every Moment - THANK GOD!!

Wants vs Needs

I always get on my husband when he says he "Needs" something when in reality it is just a want.  I have even brought in my oldest son to the discussion to tell his dad what the difference is.  My husband will sometimes still argue me down that he REALLY needs it but I know better.  Today as I was walking to grab a slice of pizza for lunch, I became filled with emotion in how blessed I am.  I had $2.50 in my purse to make the purchase.  I was able to walk to my destination with all 5 of my senses in tact.  Today is my payday so I was joyous that I have a job and received money to pay my bills.  When I leave work I am jumping into my car and drive to my home.  Yes, I would love a "real" LV purse to carry on my arm, a new car - Range Rover Sport to be exact and a bigger home in Maryland but these are all WANTS.  My reality is that I may not have everything I want, but I have more than I need.  My life is good and I have to appreciate the things God has blessed me with because there are so many that would jump to be in my shoes.  Thank you Lord!!

Smoking

I have never had the desire to put a cigarette to my mouth.  So many people close to me choose to smoke and it baffles me.  Their brain cells have conditioned them to smoke after certain activities like eating or using the bathroom but all I see are the negative consequences resulting from smoking and it scares me.  Years ago, cigarettes were linked to cancer but now people are developing cancer without being smokers.  However, you can see other health consequences to this disgusting habit.  I hate to sit back and watch the cigarette makers make tons of money on the health and welfare of my loved ones.  I can not control the world of smokers but I am a supporter of the Bloomberg administration that have banned smoking in public places.  I HATE walking down the street and walk into a cloud of cigarette smoke.  UUGGHHHH!!!

Church

Just came home from church and I had a great time.  I did not feel to go this morning but I am glad that the devil was defeated and I was in the house of the Lord.  The Holy Spirit was definitely in the house today.  The message came from Genesis 18 and it all had to do with this being our time.  I was so happy for everyone that received a direct word from God because they are really going to be blessed with the things they are praying for.  As God stated to to Sarah - is anything to hard for God?  It is so easy for us to forget this fact. God can do all but fail.  I am a witness to this.....He'll make it alright!!!  Well I am off for now and I hope that you are all blessed.

I have to be me!!!

So I have abandoned my blog and I regret it.  I was putting too much energy into trying to make it perfect and it became a burden rather than a source of release.  So I apologize upfront if there are spelling mistakes or if my sentence structures are not correct.  I created this blog to just be me and I am far from perfect.  I will begin to post and if it is not everyday....it is OK cause sometimes I just don't want to.  If I post 3 times a day...that is OK too.  I am going to be me in this post and I hope I do not offend anyone....do not take it personal.  Love you and I hope you stay with me on my journey.

SUMMERTIME!!

Will Smith created a classic with his song Summertime. Even though he made this song years ago, it can still be played and receive the same reception. People dance and sing along to this untimely hit. How can this be? Simply put, this song accurately reflects the mood and spirit people are in when this season approaches. Especially me!! I LOVE this time of year. I love the hot weather, the food associated with summer, the activities, and the gatherings...The Fun. Fruits such as watermelon, cantaloupe and cherries are so sweet and juicy. So tasty. It seems as if this time comes and ends so quickly. Especially for us in the northern states. Summer just arrived for us but I am hoping that it stays until at least Labor Day. So in honor of this time of year...blast Mr. Smith and bob your head - cuz it's Summertime.

I Don't Know Defeat!

As humans, we tend to make excuses for our failures. Victimization is easier to face than realization. As I approach another birthday, I decided that I will no longer play the victim and I faced my reality that I can no longer just sit back and hope for things to occur. I have to set goals and make action plans to reach my goals. As I discussed with my husband this past week, we are God's children and He wants us to have so much more. He wants to bless us. So instead of sitting back and hoping for the 1 day, I am claiming that today is my Day 1. I know where I want to be so with God's guidance, they will be completed. Thank you Heavenly Father for opening my eyes for all you have in store for me and my family.

When I Grow Up

My cousin starts my birthday countdown as soon as we hit June 1st. So as my birthday quickly approaches this year, my thoughts have been surrounded by all the dreams I had as a child and where I am with them. Sadly, I am so off mark. I am truly blessed that I have a healthy marriage and am a mother to wonderful children but that was not in my plans. I planned on going to college, being a career woman and live in a Brownstone in Brooklyn or Harlem (like ol' girl in Brown Sugar.) I would only drink bottled water and have a little puppy.  I never imagined being a wife and mom but I am so happy that I have my family.  However my career path is at a stand still and this frustrates me. I am in a good job field but I don't experience job satisfaction or feel that I am making a contribution to society. I don’t see myself in a career.  I have a job!!  I learned my job and think I do it well but I surely did not NEED two degrees to perform my job description. Now that my company is facing troubled times and my job is not stable, it is causing me to question again....what do I want to be when I grow up?

Reading is Fundamental

I love books. From as long as I can remember, I loved reading. Well I need to clarify, I loved reading Fiction. As a child, I never asked my parents for specific toys or clothes. In fact, I could care less about these items.  However, monthly when the teacher would hand out the Scholastic Book order form, I could not wait to get home and select my books and ask my parents to indulge in my book addiction. I remember my favorite books at the time were "The Babysitters Club" series. My library was quite extensive. As I got older, I continued to read and most times when I was not allowed to hang out with my friends, one could find me on the front steps reading. My genre at the time was African American fiction. As an adult, I continue to read and have discovered a new best friend - my library card. I read books entirely too quickly to purchase and most importantly, I do not have space to store these books. Not only have I changed from how I acquire my books but my taste in books has changed slightly as well. I have developed a new found love of African American Christian Fiction. I am not sure if it has to do with my desire to live a better Christian life but these books speak to my soul. My ultimate goal is to start a book club dedicated to reading these books and discussing how these books relate to our lives and in the world today. I credit my love of books to my Dad who definitely believed in reading and my baby boy is following in our footsteps. He loves books as well, especially when it is time to go to bed.

Peace is Priceless

I don’t only want to depict negativity on this blog so I would like to share that I had a wonderful morning.  Although I was tired, I only hit the snooze button once.  (I know I am trying.)  Once up, I got myself together and woke up the little one.  Thankfully he had a dry bed.  Not sure why, but for the last two nights, he has wet the bed and this is so out of his character.  So he got up with only a few tugs this morning.  At this time, the older boy’s alarm goes off.  I kept praying that I would not have to go in there and wake him up.  My prayers were answered…although he had the grill face he got out of the bed without my assistance.  Both boys got ready quickly and ate breakfast and I did not encounter any attitudes.  My only setback was the little one pretending to be the karate kid and jacking the older boy up at various times throughout the morning.  I did not have to iron clothes this morning since I ironed on Sunday.  I packed my breakfast and lunch and headed out the door on time.  My car started without any problems and I took both boys with me.  In the car we played the “looking for the stop signs” game.  I made up a song to accompany the game and even the older boy participated in the activity.  They both were excited.  When I got to the preschool, I let the older boy catch the bus to get to school and I took the little one in.  The little one stopped to say good morning to his old teacher and class but then he went into the new classroom with no resistance.  I received two kisses and a big hug.  On my drive to the train, I saw the older boy walking to his school.  Good job boys!!!  I found a good parking space right away, I did not wait long for the bus, I was able to walk to the back of the bus and got a seat on the train and I slept.  Mornings like these are just priceless.

Move Chick -Get out the way!

I have complete knowledge about the history in regards to being forced to the sit in the back of the bus.  I also understand that at one point in time, the rowdy, disrespectful teenagers would cause havoc in the rear of the bus.  However, we have come a long way baby and times have changed.  I get so upset when people push and shove to get on the bus and then stop in the front.  If you know that you are not going to move to the back of the bus….wait in the back of the line.  Then bus drivers will not stop and pick up more passengers if the front of the bus is full.  I get so upset when a bus rolls pass me and the back of the bus is empty.  Lastly, I hate when I get on the bus and attempt to get to the back and the passengers will not move out of my way and get an attitude when they get pushed to the side.  Yes I do push!!!  Come on people, I want to get to my destination just like you so either move to the back or step to the side.  Just my rant of the day.

I am back!!!

The blog system was down on Friday but here I am to post this wonderful Monday!! (Do you hear the sarcasm in my voice?)

As a mother, I have so many dreams and aspirations for my boys.  I know I am biased but I believe that they have the potential to achieve great things in life and become men of importance.  I take my job very seriously as the person to help them realize their dreams and help them achieve them.  However, I must admit that at times I live vicariously through them in some aspects of their lives and I feel disappointed when they “do their own thing.” I know I should not feel like that but at times I do.  Right now the baby wants to “make me happy” and I am just amazed in how fast he is learning.  However, my oldest is extremely smart and talented but he is sooooo lazy.  This kills me.  He has made the Dean’s List twice this year and I am proud of his academic achievements but I know that if he tried harder and was not so lazy with his work, he could be one of the two top students in his grade.  Yes this is spoken from a former two time salutatorian.  But it is not only with his academics.  Last year, he and few classmates were chosen to write and publish a book with Scholastic.  It was not until I went to the book signing that I saw the finished product and the book was mostly illustrated by my son.  I did not even know that he possessed the ability to draw and he is an excellent artist.  In his mind it was nothing but to me it was everything and I felt as if I failed partially since I did not even know about this hidden talent.  As his mother I should have known.  Not only is he a talented artist but he is a natural athlete.  So far he has participated in bowling, baseball and basketball leagues and without any extra practice or help, he excelled in these sports activities.  What else could I expect from a boy that taught himself how to ride a two-wheeler bike at the age of 4 years old?  Well this school year he tried out for both track and football.  He made both teams but chose the later.  I was disappointed because I always wanted to run track and did not have the opportunity to.  Guess this is where I wanted to live my dream through him but I was not given the opportunity.  My friends that I have spoken to about this, feel that he made the better choice by joining the football team but I just don’t see him as a football player.  The baby is a football player all across the board but not my oldest.  This was my first test of showing my son support in a choice he made rather than a choice I made for him.  I know I need more help in this area but for now I will practice my old cheers from when I was a cheerleader and show my support in the upcoming football season.

You are what you eat!

As lunch time approaches, I come to the conclusion that if this saying was true, I would be one huge ?????.  Well let’s play a guessing game.  I will describe the food and see if you can guess my food choice before we get to the end.  So let’s begin.

If I do not bring lunch from home, then I get them for lunch.  I like them with or without ketchup.  I can eat them seasoned with salt or dipped in a ketchup/mayonnaise concoction.  I like them wedged, shoe-stringed, crinkled or waffled.  I do not have a preference if they are home-made or store bought.  They can be prepared deep fried and since I am trying to eat healthier even baked.  I can eat this food in any season.  They are best when hot.  It comes in a group so I don’t mind sharing…sometimes.  Did you guess….yes FRENCH FRIES.  I love them.   I eat them for lunch everyday.  I told myself this morning that I would get a slice of pizza today but now that I described them….I am getting my daily serving of French fries.

Teenage Years

Each one of my pregnancies, I wished for a boy.  People were surprised that even when I was pregnant my third time around and already had two boys, that I still wanted another boy.  I had two good reasons for this.  First, I did not and still do not know how to “do hair.”  So I figured having a boy would eliminate this headache.  To my surprise, both of my boys were born with a head full of hair.  I still had to find friends to braid their hair or they had to walk around with ponytails and being mistaken for a girl.  My second reason was that I did not want to have to deal with the attitudes of a teenage girl.  I remembered me at that age and I could not chance history repeating itself.  I just figured a teenage boy would be easier to deal with.  Again I was wrong.  I am living with a pre-teen boy now and I am not happy with it at all.  The attitude, the mood swings, the facial expressions…God give me strength.  I pray that my toddler mellows out by these years and that this pre-teen gets it together so that he can see and enjoy his teenage years.

Thankful!!

I am happy to say that the boys did great this morning.  Jevaughni got out of the bed when his alarm went off and went straight to school.  Macaih and I were, as we like to say, "rocking and rolling."  I got to work at a decent time and I was able to do my work in peace.  I came home to dinner cooked (thanks hubby), dishes washed (thanks Jevaughni) and Macaih just being Macaih.   I am sure that my followers sent prayers my direction yesterday for my sanity and I am thankful.  So off to bed I go and we will see what adventure tomorrow brings.  Have a great evening!!

The 3 M's

I would love to say happy Monday but even though I had a wonderful Mother’s Day yesterday, the events of my Monday morning have ruined my mood.  My alarm went off at 6am and I pushed the snooze button THREE TIMES.  That is never a good sign.  I finally got out of the bed and dragged myself to the bathroom.  However, after brushing my teeth, I grabbed another toothbrush and began scrubbing the shower tiles.  I know…again this is not good since I was late getting out of the bed but I sprayed the shower last night and I wanted to scrub the cracks between the tiles.  So I leave the bathroom after cleaning the shower tiles (and myself) and go to see if the oldest boy is up and ready to get into the bathroom.  Of course…he is not and that irritates me.  I do not say a word, I just stare at him because if I do I am afraid I will snap.  I walk away and go into the little one’s room, turn on the news and iron the clothes I picked out the night before.  Meanwhile I am trying to wake the little one up.  15 minutes later my sweet wake up songs turns to threats.  He lifts his head to tell me that he does not like the news that is playing on his TV and lies back down on the pillow.  So now I have to pull him out of the bed and into the bathroom and now he gets the stare because it is really late now and no one is cooperating.  After my stares, both boys dress quickly and they know that they need to get out of the house on time without taking me there.  I thought we were good until the big one hands me a quiz to sign that he had in his book bag all weekend.  He scored an 80 so I was not upset about the grade but I like to review the content of quizzes and tests to see what he understands and most importantly what he does not so we can go over it.  So he hands me the quiz and I ask him why he did not answer the last question which was an essay and worth 20 of the points, he replies that he did not know it.  So now I am fuming because we had the weekend to review. I sign the quiz but tell him that by the time I reach home this evening, I want the paragraphs written so I can grade it myself.  Of course he was not happy but OH WELL.  So now I am out of the house and although the temperature is suppose to be 71 degrees today, I am freezing and wish that I had on a warmer outfit.  Moving on, I get in the car and start it and forget that I don’t have a drop of gas so now I have to stop.  Time is already not on my side.  So after I get literally get a drop of gas (these prices are ridiculous), I continue to the little one’s school and he begins to tell me that he does not want to go to his new class, he wants to stay with his old teacher Ms Peggy and the Blue Group. Why me this morning??  Once inside the school, he runs to his old classroom and refuses to go to the new class.  Ms. Peggy comes to the rescue by giving him a hug and then he goes to the new classroom but he is still very sad about this change.  Last week he was excited about being in the new class with “the big kids” but today his facial expression was so solemn.  I walk away worried about how he will be in school today.  As I drive away, I realize that even with everything that has occurred, I am still on time UNTIL I see my oldest son walking away from his school with his classmates heading to Burger King.  I am furious.  I am in the turning lane so I can’t easily get to him.  I am screaming out the window btu he does not hear me.  When the light turns green, I maneuver through the side blocks to get to BK.  Once I get there, he is walking out with the boys.  Now I snap.  He knows the rules but instead he is following his peers.  To add more fuel to the fire, the classmate that he travels to school with in the morning is not with him.  They left the house together so where is he?  He is at the same place my son should have been – in school already.  Needless to say, after embarrassing him in front of his classmates, I have to send an email to my boss telling him that I was going to be late for work this morning. So today I label myself…the Monday Morning Maniac.

Shoes, Shoes...it gotta be the Shoes!!

Happy Friday!!

As the only female in my house, you would think that I would be the one who LOVES shoes.  That is not the case; in fact, I am the only one in the house that could care less about these objects.  All three of my boys, are shoe fanatics in different ways.  My husband loves to see females that are as he would say “on top of their shoe game.” He loves heels, the taller the better.  If he had it his way, I would be in heels at all times, even in bed. J Unfortunately, my visits to the podiatrist last year will not allow me to wear these shoes as often as he would like.  But he is the one responsible for the nice shoes that I currently own.  When I do go out to buy a new pair of shoes, which is rare because I HATE shopping – that is another post – he is the one that selects the shoe and he tells me how they look on me and then he makes the purchase.  So when I receive a compliment on my shoes, he is the one that deserves the praise, not I.  Now to Jevaughni, he is developing a new interest in shoes.  He just had a birthday and when he was asked what he wanted, he said sneakers.  He tells me about all these name brand sneakers that he wants and all I hear when he speaks is $$$$.  I asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday and he said shoe shopping.  What in the world?!?!?  Sorry son, I love you but Daddy is going to have to take you.  I do not have the patience for shopping.  Lastly, my baby….thanks to his younger cousin that grows out of shoes quickly and his mother’s love of shoes….Macaih has always had a closet full of shoes since he started walking.  Now I just noticed this last week…but he matches his shoes with his outfits.  In the morning, I tell him to go put on his shoes.  I would think  the 3 year old would just put on the same shoe that he wore the day before, but everyday, he selects a new shoe to match is outfit.  It is quite amazing.  He has even nicknamed the shoes…boots are monster shoes, shoes that have Velcro are noisy shoes, etc.  So I am in a house full of men that love shoes and if I had it my way and the weather would cooperate, I would wear flip flops all the time. 

The Pencil

Happy Cinco de Mayo,

I received an email today from a friend and instead of just forwarding it to everyone; I decided to post on my blog.  It was reinforcement after I spoke to a family member who is feeling a little discouraged at this point in time.  So here it is.  I hope it speaks to all of you, as it spoke to my heart.

A PENCIL MAKER TOLD THE PENCIL 5 IMPORTANT LESSONS JUST BEFORE PUTTING IT IN THE BOX:
1. EVERYTHING YOU DO WILL ALWAYS LEAVE A MARK.
2. YOU CAN ALWAYS CORRECT THE MISTAKES YOU MAKE.
3. WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS WHAT IS INSIDE OF YOU.
4. IN LIFE, YOU WILL UNDERGO PAINFUL SHARPENINGS, WHICH WILL ONLY MAKE YOU BETTER.
5. TO BE THE BEST PENCIL, YOU MUST ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE HELD AND GUIDED BY THE HAND THAT HOLDS YOU.
We all need to be constantly sharpened.  This parable may encourage you to know that you are a special person, with unique God-given talents and abilities.  Only you can fulfill the purpose which you were born to accomplish.  Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot be changed and, like the pencil, always remember that the most important part of who you are is what's inside of you and then allow yourself to be guided by the hand of God.
Need I say more.......?

Exhaustion

exhaustion /ex·haus·tion/ (eg-zaws´chun)

1. a state of extreme mental or physical fatigue.

2. the state of being drained, emptied, or consumed.

 

Sorry for not posting yesterday but this sums it all up.  It was one of those days.  I moved quickly through yesterday’s evening duties of picking up the boys from the church, going to Walgreens, cooking dinner, feeding the boys, helping little one with his homework, listening to the day’s activities, bathing the little one, reading a bedtime story, washing the dishes, getting the clothes ready for the next day and then taking my shower and was in my bed at a decent time.  I have to stop planning on going to bed early because that plan never comes to fruition.  I was awakened an hour later to my baby coughing repeatedly that ended with vomiting in the bed.  With the assistance of the hubby, we were changing and washing him and the sheets of the bed.  I have such a weak stomach and I started to feel sick but it was all worth it when a tired baby looks at you and lays in his newly changed bed and says, “Mommy, this is perfect…thank you.”

Time not on my Side

When you tend to be late all the time, people usually remark with the old saying that you are going to be late to your own funeral.  Well my Dad was notorious for being late all the time and low and behold; he was indeed late for his own funeral.  All everyone could do at the time was laugh at this fact.  Well this trait is something that I inherited.  I am late for everything.  Work, various appointments, church, meetings….you name it.  I don’t do this intentionally but it is very hard for me to be somewhere at a designated time.  My husband HATES this about me.   All I can say about this is that I am a work in progress, but if history repeats itself, I will be like my Daddy and late for my own funeral.

Birthday Time

Happy Monday!!!  This past Saturday, my oldest son turned 12 years old.  I can not believe that I am the mother of a 12 year old when I barely look a day over 21 years old myself.  (LOL) He loves celebrating his birthday and I try to create enjoyable moments for him since my parents ALWAYS celebrated my birthday.  I guess it helped that my birthday is in late June and it was always easy to do.  We did not have themes or characters at my party, just family + friends = tons of fun and memories.  My Dad would spark the grill, my Mom would cook the other foods and bake a cake and the party was on.  The day was for me and my friends and by the evening, it always turned into “the grown-up” party.  We had a good time and I don’t think it cost them too much $$.  (I have to ask my mom).  So with my kids, I am trying to create these same memories and not go broke doing so.  This year, we took him to the NY International Car Show in Manhattan.  We brought along one of his friends from church and we met my husband’s cousin and his two godsons there.  It was a nice day and the show itself was very interesting since this was my first time attending.  Afterwards, we ate dinner at the China Buffet.  It was kind of low key compared to parties he had in the past but I am hoping that he had a good time.  I remember 12 years ago not knowing how I was going to be able to care for and raise this boy child as a single parent.  I am so grateful that God kept us and continues to keep us, so for this fact alone; we will celebrate his day, some way, every year.

Weather

So after NY has faced one of the coldest and hardest snowfalls in history, we are finally receiving a break and getting a little sunshine.  Key word.....little.  By looking at me and looking at what some people are wearing, you would not be able to guess what the temperature was outside.  I am still wearing a light jacket.  I did get rid of the hat but these ladies are wearing sandals, sundresses and tank tops...the men are wearing shorts and T-shirts.  All I can do is shake my head.  I am not dressing like summer until the weather stays consistent.

My Apology

It has been brought to my attention (by my cousin and mom) that I have been posting blogs with minor spelling errors.  I am so sorry.  I dislike reading spelling mistakes and for those that follow me, I apologize for doing this to you.  With my posts, I just type and publish without taking the time out to read my own words.  So from this post forward, I will review before posting.  Thanks for following my world.  Today's post will follow shortly.

To Sleep or not to sleep.....I don't have the option

I have mentioned this on FB but I will share my confession on my blog as well.  I confess.....I can not sit on a moving subway and not fall asleep.  My mother has yelled at me about this and I try to explain to her that this is just what NYC commuters do if they are lucky enough to get a seat.  I am the second stop on my train line so I have mastered the car that is going to be the emptiest and I know exactly where to stand so that when the train stops, the door is right in front of me.  I then dash on the train to catch the best seat and then "it is on."  I fall asleep and this 30 minute nap really does make a difference.  It is amazing that my body knows when to wake up so I do not miss my stop. Although I must admit that I have slept passed my stop twice.  Imagine how embarrassing it is to tell your boss that you are going to be a little late for work because you overslept...not at home but on the train.  On those rare occassions that I can not get a seat, I have mastered sleeping while standing up. I have even slept so hard that I rested my head on the shoulder of my seat companion.  Again....EMBARRASSING.  So now I try to always have a book on hand so I can read and not sleep.  However, I have to make a visit to the library so I do not have a book to read until Thursday.  Sweet Dreams!!!

From last night

So I will add two blogs today since I was having technical difiiculties yesterday evening.  So I wanted to share my favorite time of the day.  Well it is not an actual time but more of a time period. I am usually the last one to go to bed at night during the weekdays.  The boys bedtime is 9pm and for the most part, we usually make that goal.  Husband is usually in bed by 10pm and after that time the house is quiet and I can usually sit down for the first time since walking into the house.  But this relaxation time, is not the best part of the day.  My shower head is the absolute best and I enjoy taking hot showers to wash away the stress of the day.  But even this is not the best part of the day.  My favorite part of the day is walking from room to room before I head to my room and check on my sleeping boys....all three of them(yes husband is included).  I adjust the covers if need be, stare at their sleeping faces, give last minute kisses and give thanks to the Lord for my blessed boys and prayers for safety throughout the night.  Checking on my boys is the last thing I do before I go in my bed and I must do this every night before my head hits the pillow.  This is my favorite part of the day.

Family Time

Happy Monday,

So I figured out that blogging over the weekend is going to be almost impossible.  My weekends are usually jam-packed with my sons' various activities but this weekend was a little different.  I was able to sleep a little later than usual (8am) and enjoy a manicure/pedicure and then attend a beautiful wedding with the husband on Saturday evening.  My mom and son came in from NC on Easter morning and we enjoyed a beautiful church service and then afterwards my mother-in-law hosted Easter Sunday dinner, a tradition that she has done for over 30 years.  My husband's family is HUGE but they are a close knit family and that is one of the many things I enjoy about his family.  It brings me back to when I was younger and my dad was still living.  He always celebrated holidays with his sisters and their kids but since his passing and 2 of his sisters moving out of state, the family get togethers ended.  SO although my husband does not always like hanging out, I LOVE IT.  My boys had a good time with their cousins and the food was "oh so good."  So although I am extremely tired today, it is all worth it.  I got to spend a little time with my mommy and hang out with my in-laws.  What more can a girl ask for?

Double-Edged Sword

So I am sure that many of you are familiar with this term.  My double-edged sword are "uniforms." I absolutely LOVE uniforms.  I love a man in uniform (my hubby is a NYC Bus Operator), I loved jobs that I had to wear a uniform (my job in HS was at Burger King) and now both boys are in schools where uniforms are mandatory.  I am the only member of my household that do not wear uniforms on a daily basis during the week.  If I had it my way, I would welcome the idea to wear a uniform to my workplace.  No, I can not afford to go back to work at Burger King, even though I was the "queen of the drive-thru," but having a uniform would ease the pain I feel everyday when I can not decide what to wear.  That decision takes up too much time in my morning routine.  Uniforms are so neat and to me look so professional.  Another added bonus is the cost effectiveness.  I save tons of $$$ purchasing uniforms rather than regular clothes.  So you must be thinking, with all these benefits, where does the double-edge sword come in?  My boys hardly have opportunities to wear "regular" clothes so when the occasion arises.....their clothes do not fit and because this is not on a regualr basis, I do not realize this fact until the clothes are on and we are walking out the door.  Both boys experienced this on this week.  For Jevaughni -the almost 12 year old, he had the opportunity to "dress down" for church while we were visiting NC over the weekend.  When we were walking out the door, I noticed that his jeans were high waters.....OMG.  Hubby told him that he had on long shorts.  Lucky the boy was neat and the NC family was happy to see us for the visit or he would have been the subject of many jokes.  It helps that he is cute also.  :)  Today, my 3 year old, Macaih bka MooMoo was getting dressed to go downstairs with his grandparents since he is off from school today in observance of Good Friday.  It was not until he was putting on his shoes that I realized his khaki pants were too short.  Again....OMG.  So as much as I love uniforms, situations like this cause me to despise them a little when my boys go out the house looking crazy.  So, as much as I hoping that I did not need to buy any regular clothes for them until the warmer months...looks like I have to buy my boys some pants so that they do not look like they are treading water.

Church Business

As we are approaching Good Friday and Easter, I thought it would be appropriate for my blog today to speak a little about religion in my life.  I am a God-fearing woman just striving to live a positive life. Plain and simple.  Thanks to my Dad, I grew up in the church.  He made me attend Sunday School every Sunday and attend morning service.  I was in the youth choir (although I can not sing but it was to the glory of God) and I attended vacation Bible camp every summer and once I was old enough, was a counselor.  So you would think that I was a bibilcal scholar.  Not...far from it.  I am amazed of how much I still do not know and feel so warm inside when I learn something new.  **Side note: I love learning.  I grew up knowing all the things that I should not do and knew the right path I should take but like many, took a path of my own.  Thank God He never left me and I was able to get back on track before it was too late.  My dad was my foundation for my own spiritual path and I am thankful for it.  Although, I was not thankful for it when he was waking me up early Sunday mornings to attend Sunday School (I went to school 5 days a week, why did I have to go a 6th).  He loved the Lord and this was passed down and I hope that I am instilling this love of Christ in my boys. (I see the look on my oldest face when I wake him up on Sunday....it is so familiar and hopefully he will write about how grateful he is to me when he reaches my age).  So the lesson I take from Sam is that a foundation is great to have but you have to continue to grow for yourself in the Lord.  Praise be to God that it is never too late to learn about God's love for all of us and as we enjoy the weekend, let us remember the true meaning of Good Friday and Easter.

New Chapter

Hello Blog World!!!

So...I am finally here.  I have comtemplated doing this for a while and found many excuses to why I could not do it.

Excuse #1 -  Who would read my blogs?
Excuse #2 - I am not a writer!!
Excuse #3 - When will I find the time to blog in my already pack filled day?

Finally my need outweighed my excuses.  I experience so much in a regular day that I need to express myself so I do not go CRAZY!!!  So thanks for letting me "be free."  I will just blog my everyday and hopefully you find some comfort in my thoughts in that you are not alone or just laugh at my antics.  See you soon!!