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Don’t Say The R-Word

2 Feb

My kids say “SHIT”.

I don’t mind, as long as they use it appropriately and in extreme situations.

When Mo spent 3 hours putting together a Lego village, then accidentally dropped it, umm yeah, saying SHIT was ok.

When Mo was playing Temple Run and fell 100 points short of breaking his 3 million point record, saying SHIT was ok.

When B spent 20 minutes at the park sandbox making tunnels and castles only to have them stepped on and destroyed by 2 bratty kids, saying SHIT was ok.

I consider myself slightly tolerant.

HOWEVER, when we were listening to the radio and a song came on that Mo didn’t like he said, “This song is RETARDED“.

I almost lost it.

He would have been better off saying “This song is SHIT”.

I can’t stand the R-Word!

I let my kids say certain curse words (under approved circumstances), but I absolutely WILL NOT let them say the R-Word.

Over time, the terms mental retardation and retard have been taken out of context and used in a derogatory or demeaning manner to describe someone or something.

My career in Physical Therapy began working with an Atlanta Children’s Hospital. I worked with many amazing kids with Special Needs and their families. It was such a great experience.

I went on to work with a Special Needs elementary school. I never looked forward to going to work so much everyday. The kids really touched my life with their courage, positive attitude, and loving hearts.

I also did volunteer work with the Special Olympics and my respect for people with Special Needs, their family, teachers, and caretakers continued to grow.

So when I hear people use the R-Word, I take offense. It’s hurtful.

As parents, it’s up to us to teach our kids that saying the R-Word is unacceptable.

Lead by example. Just as you’ve eliminated other derogatory and dehumanizing words, do the say with this one.

Educate yourself and your children.

There is nothing funny about making fun of other people.

You can make an online pledge to stop saying the word.

I pledge and support the elimination of the derogatory use of the r-word from everyday speech and promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.

Stop Bullying Kyle Williams

23 Jan

According to the U.S. Department of Eduation, 160,000 children a day stay home from school because they are afraid of being bullied.

There have been more and more cases of bullying in schools.

Today, kids are dealing with bullying on another level. There is cyber bullying (twitter, Facebook, email), sports bullying, gay bullying…the list goes on and on.

Bullying has always been prevelant in schools, but it just seems like it’s escalating.

There is no excuse for bullying with kids.

There definitely is no excuse for bullying among adults.

I never realized that bullying in sports existed until recently.

I am an avid college football fan and understand how it sucks when your team loses. However, I usually watch with my sons so I try to be cautious how I express my frustration.

In the NFC Championship Game between the NY Giants and the San Francisco 49ers, Kyle Williams of the 49ers fumbled 2 punt returns.

The Giants ultimately won the game in overtime.

Both fumbles resulted in the Giants scoring afterward. Many irate 49er fans blamed Williams for the loss. (Educated sports fans know one or 2 plays does not determine winning a game…hello…a football game lasts like 3 hours!)

These idiots fans took to Twitter and Facebook to express their ignorance frustration.

Kyle Williams has been trending nonstop on Twitter since the end of the game, and it’s not for his cool tattoos.

Some went above and beyond criticism and issued death threats and flat out hate towards Kyle Williams.

@KyleWilliams_10. I hope you, youre wife, kids and family die, you deserve it(@javpasquel)

@KyleWilliams_10 you should jump off the golden gate bridge for that one. #fired(@KillaKlips)

@KyleWilliams_10 HOPE U RUN n2 A BULLET DA WAY U RAN INTO DAT BALL FUCKN DUMMY OR HOPE U DROP YA 1ST BORN LIKE U DROP DAT BALL U FUCKN IDIOT (@Markymeagain)

you fucking suck and I hope you get cut! @KyleWilliams_10 (@tomidontplaydat)

Im on you all day @KyleWilliams_10 fuckin choked… Damn loser(@Mr_Coo_Coo502)

I hope you die in your sleep tonight @KyleWilliams_10 (@ComptonAssDeezy)

WHOA! Throw the ole “Sticks and Stones” adage out the window.

Death threats and hate hurt!

Cyber bullying gives cowards an easy outlet to say things hiding behind their keyboard.

What kind of message is this sending our kids? As adults, we need to be the example.

It was nice to see some of his teammates step up and express their support.

As a pro athlete, you expect criticism. However, the threats against Kyle Williams cross the line.

He’s not super human. He’s a man with feelings. I’m sure he’s beating himself up for his own performance.

The concept with Kyle is no different from a 7 year old being laughed at for his freckles, the middle schooler whose lunch money is taken, or the child who is ridiculed for being picked last.

All this needs to stop!

Parents, we have got to take a stand on bullying, and it starts with the example we set.

Bullying has gone beyond Yo Mama jokes and fist fights. Kids are being taunted, rejected, excluded and hurt to the point of committing suicide.

Please take it seriously.

Talk to your kids,  look for warning signs, and take action.

Being Bullied

  • Comes home with damaged or missing clothing or other belongings
  • Reports losing items such as books, electronics, clothing, or jewelry
  • Has unexplained injuries
  • Complains frequently of headaches, stomachaches, or feeling sick
  • Has trouble sleeping or has frequent bad dreams
  • Has changes in eating habits
  • Hurts themselves
  • Are very hungry after school from not eating their lunch
  • Runs away from home
  • Loses interest in visiting or talking with friends
  • Is afraid of going to school or other activities with peers
  • Loses interest in school work or begins to do poorly in school
  • Appears sad, moody, angry, anxious or depressed when they come home
  • Talks about suicide
  • Feels helpless
  • Often feels like they are not good enough
  • Blames themselves for their problems
  • Suddenly has fewer friends
  • Avoids certain places
  • Acts differently than usual

Bullying Others

  • Becomes violent with others
  • Gets into physical or verbal  fights with others
  • Gets sent to the principal’s office or detention a lot
  • Has extra money or new belongings that cannot be explained
  • Is quick to blame others
  • Will not accept responsibility for their actions
  • Has friends who bully others
  • Needs to win or be best at everything
Speak2Inspire.com has great apparel to show support of anti-bullying as well as some good motivational and leadership info for kids.

Here are some other sites to help you and your child:

StopBulling.gov

NoBully.com

PositiveCoach.org

BullyingStatistics.org

StandTogether.tv

AntiBullying.net

Holiday Magic/Is Santa Real?

20 Dec

Recently I talked to a mom that said she wasn’t sure if she was gonna continue to do the whole “Santa thing” with her kids. She was a little down about the economy and said she didn’t think it was right that Santa get the credit for her hard earned money and gift giving.

For me, it’s just the whole essence of giving my kids something to believe in.

I can remember how excited I got around the holidays and the magical feeling of waking up Christmas morning to see the tree lit and filled with presents underneath. (I won’t mention the one Christmas where I complained about the gifts and called them “crap” only to be sent back to bed until I was a little more appreciative for Santa’s efforts).

Anyway, I realize what that mom was saying, but once you grow up and have kids, you really appreciate the efforts your parents make to help you feel special. And I’m sure your kids will feel the same way.

If it brings excitement and a smile to my kids, I don’t mind giving “Santa” credit for the gift giving.

Just as adults need distractions from things such as the economy, relationships, job situations, etc, children need the same. They too get frustrated with life’s little curveballs: making friends, doing well in school, excelling in sports, fitting in, etc.

So, I choose to let the holiday season be a happy time for me and the boys.

It’s a time to celebrate togetherness and create traditions to remember for years to come. I can only hope that when they get older they will look back and appreciate my efforts just as I do now with my own folks and them giving me the gift of something to hope for and believe in.

Now that Mo is 7, he is starting to question the validity of Santa.

The other day I almost cracked under his Law and Order Santa interrogation.

I quickly turned to the internet for help. Here are a couple of cool sites I found that can help Santa live on for another year with your too dayum smart and cynical children:

Claus.com: The coolest thing about this site is the “Naughty and Nice Rating“. You type in your name and get a report from what Santa has concluded about your behavior. Here’s what Santa thinks about me:

Nora Moore
Nice, but with a few naughty marks. Neatness needs improvement. Behavior has been good sometimes, not so good other times. Manners could still use some attention. Was very nice last Monday.

Hmm…Santa really is watching…Guess I better get my butt in gear if I want to get that new Chole!

SantaClaus.com: For $9.95 you can get a personalized letter from Santa with a stamp “Mailed from the North Pole”. For $6.95 your child can get a phone call the big guy personalized with their name. This sounds like a Flip worthy moment for when your kid is on his way to the Senior Prom in the years to come.

NoradSanta.org: Wanna know Santa’s exact location right now? Need to show the kids Santa is en route on Christmas Eve? This site can pinpoint Santa’s location around the globe as well as a detailed countdown til the thrilling day. There is an amazing FAQ’s section that answers your kid’s most common questions that we seem to make up the dumbest answers for:

How does Santa get down chimneys?, How old is Santa?, When will Santa arrive at my house?, How does Santa travel the world in 24 hours?etc.

So in between your holiday shopping and baking, hop on over to these sites. I’ve gotta go work on raising my niceness quotient!

I Love Magnolia Bakery

13 Dec

On a recent trip to New York, I discovered Magnolia Bakery.

Finding Magnolia Bakery in LA was better news than Michael Kors opening at my local mall.

Since Magnolia does featured flavors every month, I try and get by to tantalize my taste buds.

For the holiday season, they are featuring mini-cupcake Christmas Ornament boxes and mini-cupcake Dreidel boxes, Chocolate Crinkle and Pecan Sno Ball holiday cookies, & Gingerbread and Rockette Red Velvet cupcakes.

YUM-O-RIFIC!!!

Like many households, I love to keep baked goods and yummy treats plentiful during the holidays.

Ya never know when Santa’s gonna drop by to see who’s being naughty and nice :)

Here’s some of the Magnolia Bakery holiday treats:

The Chocolate Crinkle cookie had the soft moist consistency of cake then it’s rolled in powdered sugar. Sooo good!

Their Pecan Sno Ball cookies (A.K.A Wedding Cookies in the South) were my FAVE! Perfect combo of buttery and pecan goodness

Festive Hanukkah and Christmas cupcakes w/cream cheese and vanilla buttercream icing

These chocolate cookies were so moist and filled w/chocolate, pecans and cranberries

Sweet coconut macaroons dipped in chocolate

Bronson gave the vanilla bean cupcakes his seal of approval

Mo loved the Chocolate Crinkle cookie swimming in powdered sugar

The staff and environment at Magnolia Bakery has such a warm feeling. It’s how you wanna feel when you’re indulging in comfort food.

In addition to the fact that they make everyting fresh-from-scratch on premises all day, every day, using the finest ingredients, I love how friendly and helpful the entire staff is. It is evident that they truly enjoy their job and bake ever morsel of yummy goodness with ♥LOVE♥.

If you’re in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, or Dubai head over to Magnolia Bakery for some holiday treats.

Kids Can Make A Difference

7 Dec

I’m always telling my sons that they aren’t too young to make an impact or difference.

When Mo’s soccer season ended he was devastated and wanted to keep playing.

He has since taken charge of an effort to start a soccer team at his school. He and a small group of friends have met with their principal to form a school team and are currently helping to raise money to buy grass for a soccer playing area.

I’m so proud of his efforts and he has a great sense of pride and responsibility in getting the ball rolling.

Our kids are never too young to make a difference. Here are some amazing kids and the contributions they are making in their community and the world.

RACHEL BECKWORTH:

The Bellevue, Wash. girl had decided to celebrate her birthday with a fundraiser instead of getting gifts. However, in July she died from injuries sustained in a car accident. She had raised $220 but was $80 short of her goal to donate to Charity: Water. Charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. 100% of public donations directly fund water projects.

After her death, her birthday wish to raise money for the non-profit went viral. Countless strangers banned together to contribute over $1 million. Her mom will travel to Africa with Charity: Water to see firsthand how her daughter’s legacy has helped save many lives by providing clean water.

JEFF HANSON:

At 12 years old, he was diagnosed with an optic nerve tumor.  While undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, Jeff started to paint watercolors on notecards to lift his spirits.

As he got better he opened a lemonade stand at his house and sold his paintings and baked goods. By the end of the summer, Hanson had raised $15,000, which he donated to the Children’s Tumor Foundation to help research his diagnosis. He went on to paint more notecards as well as acrylics on canvas.

In five years, Hanson has donated more than $350,000 from the sale of his paintings to more than 50 charities, most of them devoted to children’s health.

At 17 years old, he continues to paint and contribute to charity. You can view Jeff’s work and make a donation at his website.

RACHEL WHEELER:

At 11 years old, Rachel raised  $175,000 to help build 27 concrete homes in Haiti. After the 7.2 Earthquake in Haiti, Rachel joined with Charity, Food For The Poor and helped raise funds to build a school for the village children.

Her fundraising efforts continue as she helps to provide more to the children in Haiti. You can view her progress and donate here.

EVAN MOSS:

Evan started having seizures within his first month of life. By the time he was 4-years-old, he was having 300-400 seizures a month. He underwent brain surgery, and left the hospital seizure-free, and lived seizure free for 2 years.

Now, Evan is 7 and suffers from about 3-4 seizures a month. Though, they are much fewer, they are also more intense and often require a call to 911. The family decided a seizure dog would be a good safety measure so the dog could alert his parents if he was having a seizure. However, the dog cost $13,000.

To help cover the cost of the dog as well as spread epilepsy awareness, Evan wrote and illustrated a book, My Seizure Dog. You can purchase Evan’s book here.

These are all amazing causes to support. If you’re looking for a holiday gift that keeps giving, supporting these 4 causes make great gifts! Hats off to these amazing kids!


I Love Mariah On HSN

21 Nov

Last year I had so much fun watching Mariah Carey on HSN. 

It was her 1st time showing her jewelry and clothing line. She was hilarious.

The best part was when she tweeted me ( I have arrived!) during a show commercial break.

Mariah Carey

@MariahCareyMariah Carey
@AHotMama Thank youuu! I love the butterfly rings too!! LYM : )
24 Jul via web

Oh, how I love Mariah!

This year, she is a new mommy to twins Morrocan and Monroe, has a fabulous body from Jenny Craig, and a hot Christmas duet with Justin Beiber.

She recently discussed her difficult pregnancy, motherhood, and invited us into her home on 20/20 with Barbara Walters.

As if that’s not enough, she will be on HSN Tuesday November 22.

I am eagerly anticipating her line of Christmas Decor.

Mimi is quite festive and her Merry Christmas II You wins my award for fave Christmas CD.

I was super excited when I saw that she has a holiday home line complete with tree decorations, figurines, and a wreath.

Mimi is always good for comedy and great lively commentary too.

Who knows…Dem Babies might make a special appearance.

Make sure you tune in to HSN Tuesday November 22 at  midnight, noon, 4pm & 9pm EST.

In addition to her Christmas line, she will also be selling her perfume, clothing, shoes, and jewelry.

Dream Jewelry

17 Nov

I love supporting mommy friends in their business ventures.

I told you about yummy cake pops from Lil Bit of Love, and lollipop necklaces from mom of 4, Simone I. Smith…well now I’ve found the perfect bracelets.

I will never forget being in 8th grade and trying out for cheerleading. I was realllly nervous because we didn’t have middle school waaaay back then. Our high school was 8-12 grade. One of the JV cheerleaders, Caroline, was super nice to me and helped ease my fears. It worked. I made the squad. Woo hoo ♥SPIRIT FINGERS♥.

Fast forward many years, Caroline now has a beautiful daughter and a budding jewelry business.

She makes the MOST BEAUTIFUL bracelets.

Her company, Dream Jewelry makes everything handmade using natural gemstones like Tiger Eye, Agate, Turquoise, Labradorite, Lapis, Freshwater Pearls, Swarovski Crystals, and Jade to name a few.

They are absolutely beautiful on her website.

I was blown away when I saw them in person.

The Tahitian bracelet is made with a Agate center and cream beads called Fossil.

Black Onyx Bead with a crystal studded cross.

Since all items are handmade, she custom sized my bracelets for my teeny wrist.

Just in time for the holidays, Dream Jewelry is having a HUUUUGE sale on their website.

Most items are around 50% off their already very reasonable prices.

Check them out and support a wonderful mommy!

Make sure to check out and “LIKE” Dream Jewelry on Facebook.

Here’s a peek at some of Dream Jewelry’s other items:

Penn State Scandal

15 Nov

As an avid college football fan and mom of 2 boys, I was gonna stay away from talking about the Penn State scandal.

But as an avid college football fan and mom of 2 boys, I feel the need to discuss the Penn State scandal.

Let’s just summarize the basics:

Jerry Sandusky, 67 year old retired Penn State assistant football coach is facing charges that he sexually abused eight boys over 15 years. These allegations have led to the firing of the college president and iconic football coach Joe Paterno. Sandusky was arrested Nov. 5 and charged with 40 counts of sexually abusing young boys. He is free on $100,000 bail.

If you wanna read more on the charges, here is a detailed timeline.

I love football, but i am always a mom first.

Just the thought of some of the charges makes my stomach turn.

Even more, the thought of Penn State being knowledgeable of what was going on with Sandusky disgusts me.

To add to the fire, if Joe Pa was allowed to continue coaching only to break Grambling University’s Eddie Robinson‘s winning streak record, there are no words.

Grambling head coach Eddie Robinson retired in 1997 as the winningest coach in college football history. He led the Louisiana historically black university to 408 Division 1 wins.

This amazing feat was surpassed on October 29, 2011 by 84 year old Penn State coach, Joe Paterno at Beaver Stadium.

A week later, Sandusky is arrested and all Hell breaks loose around Penn State as the world becomes aware of what only a handful of people in the Nittany Lions community knew.

And just recently, ANOTHER school has come under fire for sexual allegations with minors.

32-year-old Louis Neal ReVille, an alumnus and summer camp counselor of The Citadel, had allegeations in 2007 of an incident with minors at a Citadel Summer Camp. He later went on to work with hundreds of children as a teacher and coach in Charleston area schools, recreation programs and churches.

ReVille was arrested last month on five counts of allegedly sexually abusing boys, according to authorities. ReVille is in jail on a $1 million bond
and has confessed to sexually assaulting five teenage boys that he coached.

So…as parents, what can we do to protect our children?

We raise our boys and try to instill values in them, then release them to the world in hopes that they use these tools to develop into young men.

Nope, NOT ME.

Both of my boys play sports and it’s so easy for us to entrust our children with these coaches who play such a huge role in their lives.

I am gonna be like DeNiro in Meet the Fockers. Sly Stallone in Rambo. Charles Bronson in Death Wish.

I’m going Mama Vigilante on these sickos and wackos who take advantage of our children’s youth and innocence.

I wanna be on every sideline, shower room, and camp sleepover.

I have no qualms about being THAT MOM.

I will be side-eyeing any Coach who does too many booty pats or exhibits excessive physical celebration on good plays.

I realize there are many great coaches who only want to help young men flourish in sports. However, stories like the allegations at Penn State and The Citadel are the reason why I have to sit my 7 year old son down and talk about not letting ANYONE near his private parts.

*My heartfelt thoughts go out to any victim and their families of sexual abuse.

*Organizations like RAINN , Dancing In The Darkness, and Stop It Now provide support and resources for sexual abuse victims.

Baby License

13 Nov

Sometimes I sit back and look at my boys and think,

“Wow, I can’t believe I’m someone’s mom.”

It seems like just yesterday that I was goofing off, cracking mindless jokes, and being obnoxious. Oh, it WAS yesterday.

Well, I meant doing all that clowning around in high school.

Who in the world would let someone so silly take on the responsibilities of motherhood?

It amazes me that basically any female can become a mom.

There really isn’t a screening process or license to get to enter motherhood.

Let’s face it, to get a driver’s permit, you at least have to take a written and skills test. You must prove you’re worthy before they let you out on the road.

To get into college, there was an application process and I had to take a scholastic exam (SAT and ACT) to let them know what I was capable academically before they welcomed me to their university.

Ralphs and CVS even made me fill out an application before I could start raking in their store savings.

So, no wonder it can get so overwhelming when you’re a parent sometimes.

You really don’t know what to expect, kids don’t come with a handbook, and there aren’t many pre-requisites to meet before becoming a parent.

The only type of “test” I even remember is the hospital checking that I had a baby car seat (and I didn’t even have anything to do with getting the car seat, it was a shower gift). Other than that, I was pretty much on my way home with my new baby, no questions asked. Wow.

So how does a goofy, your mama joke telling girl transform into a mother?

It’s just something that “happened” for me. Maybe the hospital injected something special into all that prune juice they kept bringing me, who knows? But, I instantly developed a superpower. I like to call it “intuition.” My instincts started kicking in once I became a mom. In addition to that, skills and things I didn’t know I began to seek out resources and people to help me learn.

And  as I watch my sons grow, I can’t help but smile as I see them goofing off, cracking mindless jokes, and being obnoxious.

Obvious proof of my great parenting skills, and the fact that maybe I didn’t need a baby license after all.

P.S- I found a really cute site that actually makes a baby license and other cute personalized baby items. lol

Trick Or Treat With Ease

30 Oct

With Halloween around the corner, many of our kids will embark on the lovely tradition of knocking on strangers’ doors and getting free candy. A.K.A Trick or treating.

Our neighborhood doesn’t have a lot of sidewalks, so we’ll be going to a friends house for the festivities. I know this is common practice for many kids in our area.

Before you head out, you might want to do a little research on exactly whose door you will be knocking on and accepting goodies from.

The only thing scarier than ghosts, goblins, and witches are child predators!

The following sites are great for listing the name and location of registered sex offenders in any area as well as providing information to help protect your children and family:

Family Watchdog

California Megan’s Law

Remind your kids not to give out personal info such as where they live, etc. while trick or treating, especially if you don’t know who you’re talking to.

Enjoy Halloween and be safe (and send me all your Butterfingers and Skittles).

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