Holiday shopping

November 27th, 2011

I wasn’t planning on going out into the shopping crowds on Thanksgiving weekend, but by Saturday of the holiday weekend, I felt like I could handle the crowds. My friend and I and her niece battled the traffic to the Garden State Mall and were able to find a parking space relatively close. The mall was crowded to say the least. We had specific stores to shop in, which made it a little easier rather than wandering. We both have teen boys and three of them love Hollister. I got my older one a couple of things and she bought out the store for her younger one. Next stop was Aeropastale for my younger one. The sales were great and I got both my boys some really nice things for less than $100.00 for both of them. That’s great considering I’m only working part-time at the moment. In past years, I always went Christmas shopping with my BFF and we knocked out all of our shopping in one day. This year, things are different and I will have to get a little at a time. I’ll also buy less because the season isn’t about how much you buy but it’s remembering that our Savior was born.

Happy Shopping and remember the reason for the season!


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Be faithful, not doubtful

November 27th, 2011

I had a conversation with a friend the other day and one thing that she told me is so true and I wanted to share it with you. “If you have faith that the LORD is with you and guiding you, never let doubt enter your heart or mind. When you let doubt in, you open the door for lots of uncertainty. Keep the faith and you will grow stronger.”

So my friends, always be faithful to the LORD and it will increase your strength.

GOD Speed!

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Being called the “N” word

November 16th, 2011

Last week, I received an e-mail from a parent who attended a recent varsity away game.  I wasn’t able to go because the game was originally on Friday night and had to be moved to Saturday because of that awful snow storm in October.  Anyway, the e-mail went on to describe how one of the players from the opposing team called my son the “N” word after one of the plays and flipped another player after the play was over.

My son is a trooper!  He wanted to slam the kid, but just walked away so he didn’t receive any penalties for his team for being unsportsmanlike.  After I heard this, I immediately sent a message to the coaches to let them know about it.  My son didn’t even tell me.  I know he was thinking, he didn’t want to make a big deal about it, but a big deal needs to be made.  I received phone calls and e-mails from the coaches and school officials to assure me that they were doing everything to bring this incident to the other teams attention.  They even called to give me an update after their conversations with the Athletic Director, Principal and the student.  The student denied it of course, but at least they all know that we don’t take this type of incident lightly.

Unfortunately, I’m not surprised that this type of thing still happens.  I am an black woman with two teenage boys who are half black and half white.  The fact of the matter is that you wouldn’t even know that they are half white by looking at them.  They just look like they are light skinned.  I have always raised my boys to know their roots and to know that the world will always see them as black.  Unfortunately, that also means that people like that kid who called my boys the “N” word are out there and will use that terminology to make themselves feel better.

My kids know better and that’s all that matters.

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How about that job market?

November 15th, 2011

It’s unbelievable how many people are out of a job these days. Technically, I can’t truly complain…at least I have a part-time job to pay a few bills while I look for something full time. When I look at the job boards, I see so many postings for openings. I can’t even begin to tell you how many postings I submitted my resume to only to receive no response. One thing I realized with my search is that it must be very targeted. You have to pick an industry, refine your resume and drill down until you get called for the interview and then get the job offer you’ve been waiting for.

I’m convinced there’s a job out there for me and many others.
Keep trying!

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Football season is coming to a close

November 11th, 2011

Being a captain’s parent is a bit of work!  The bulk of the work had to be prepared back in early June long before the season even started.  Once we finally got things up and running, the season was underway and then we got to rest for a minute.  Now, the season is coming to a close soon.  We have one more game tomorrow before the final game of the season which is the Turkey Bowl.  I’m extremely proud of my boy!  He had his sights set on being a captain since he was a freshman.   He was chosen to be one of 4 captains at the end of his junior year.  I get compliments about him all the time about what a great kid he is.  That makes me proud, it means we did something right!

 

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Applying for college

November 8th, 2011

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about my son turning 18. I am so happy and proud that my boy is growing into a wonderful young man. This is his senior year in high school and we are in the process of applying to colleges for him. The process is very different than when I applied. Applications are online now and there are so many online college tracking systems to monitor and help you choose the right schools to apply to.

We sat down for about 4 hours a few Sundays ago to discuss which schools he wanted to apply to and figure out application deadlines, financial aid options etc. I told a friend that my son and I sat down and they were surprised I was able to get him to focus for that long. That was quite an accomplishment!

Tonight, I attended a college application process meeting at the High school. Now that we are in the thick of the process, I can honestly say that the meeting was extremely helpful. So far, he has about 6 schools on his list. The first application deadline is January 15. Oh, did I mention that he plays football on the varsity team and wants to play football in college? That will factor into his application process as he hopes to hear back from coaches from a few of his school choices.

I will let you know how we make out with this. If you have any questions, please give a shout. I’d be glad to help you by sharing information and tips I’ve received along the way.

Good Luck!

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My first born is 18 — YAY!!

October 26th, 2011

I can’t believe that 18 years ago tomorrow, I gave birth to my first born! I am excited for my big fella because he has so many wonderful things ahead of him. I am so proud of how he’s grown and matured. He’s kind, funny, hard working and has lots of determination — He kind of reminds me of me!!

Happy Birthday to my big boy — I love you!

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Slow Cookin’

October 25th, 2011

It’s that time of the year when the weather starts to get a little chilly, the leaves are changing and all I can think of are comfort foods! Chili is one of my favorites and it’s so each to make especially in a slow cooker. I was at a football game for my son and a few of the moms were talking about how they are going to start making meals in a slow cooker. Here’s one that I came across on Amazon.com. I will buy it when I get a chance and give you my reviews. If you get it first, let me know what you think!

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College applications, it’s that time!

October 23rd, 2011

I can’t believe it’s time to starting submitting college applications!  My son will be 18 this week and this time next year, he will be away at one of the schools of his choice.  “T” as we call him is a high school senior and one of 4 captains of the football team.  So for him, the college application process is sort of twofold.  We have to look at the academic portion of it as well as investigate potential football scholarships.

We sat down today and brainstormed about the schools to put on his list.  Then we went to collegeboard.org which is a site to help you track college entry exam scores, financial aid info, information about the application process and so much more.  It really is an incredible site.  I wish we had something like this when I was applying to schools back in the day.  Okay, I’m not that old really — only 46 I’m just sayin’…

“T” and I sat down today for about 4 hours to review his list of schools, tuition costs, common applications, essay prep and more.  It was a very productive day, but we’ve got so much more to do.  His assignment this week is to start his essay.  My assignment is to be sure he does it and to investigate financial aid options.  I have a couple of friends have told me that they are counting on me to guide them with the process when it’s their turn.  That time will be here before you know it and I’ll be ready!

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We did it!!! 40 miles over 2 days!

October 20th, 2011

WOW!!! The weather was great — no rain!!! For the fourth year in a row, KC and the Sunshine Girls left northern NJ to head into NYC to pier 84 at 5am on a Saturday morning.  It was black out, but there was a serious hustle and bustle of walkers from all over the country gathering, loading luggage onto the truck and grabbing breakfast for the forty mile journey.  There were 7 of us this year, but once a Sunshine Girl, always a Sunshine Girl.  As always, we met so many wonderful people and got to hear so many stories of survival and unfortunately defeat.

This was the fourth year for the walk with my team and for my being a survivor.  Next year will be year 5.  GOD willing, I will celebrate being cancer free and continue to walk to fight the fight so that there are more survivors like me!


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