#austinmomsblog

9 Kids’ Valentine’s Day Crafts

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Hello!

My latest post on AMB is up.  Please check out these fun crafts to do with your little ones.

Have a fabulous weekend.

Valentine’s Day Crafts for Kids

May Your Year Be Full of Firsts…

As this year comes to an end, I wanted to look back at all of the firsts that we experienced in the few days we spent in Mexico.  From the trip to traditions, I couldn’t help but feel lucky that we were able to experience these firsts together. One Lucky Mama is exactly what I am.  Here is a little recap for you plus a little silly poem at the end wishing you a new year full of happy firsts, and happiness.

Firsts:

  • First airplane ride for T
  • First flight for a family of four
  • First time in Mexico for T

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  • First time meeting cousins’ kids for T. M was too young when we took him when he was one, so we are counting it as a first for him as well.IMG_6064
  • First time going out to beautiful Coyoacan together.IMG_5331
  • First time sleeping in an apartment instead of my mom’s house in Mexico ever.
  • First time the boys shared a room and a bed together. They were so happy to be together, they would fall asleep playing and wake up at the exact same time to tell each other their dreams and start playing again. They are the cutest!
  • First time going out to dinner in the city by ourselves without family just the 4 of us.
  • First shower for T and loving it (we always take baths at home).
  • First piano lesson for M from my Tío Jorge. They were so cute together.IMG_5548
  • First time playing chase with my fabulous aunt, Tia MaraIMG_5301
  • First time M was the oldest kid hitting Piñata. Usually, there have always been bigger kids around to break the piñata. This time it was all him.IMG_5560
  • First gingerbread house, tree & train for both boys. That is one American tradition I had not ever thought of incorporating into our lives. Who knew we would love doing it in Mexico instead? Thanks, Tia Mara, it was such fun!IMG_5687 IMG_5840
  • First time M sang in Spanish for the whole family. He was amazing. I wish I could share that with you. I was ready to throw my computer against the wall when it deleted the video, but that is a whole other post.

A little poem for you:

New Year’s Wishes

May your year be full of first.

May love always quench your thirst.

May your loved ones make you smile.

May their embrace reach for miles.

May you always try each day

To find a new fun way to play.

May your days be full of kisses

Full of cuddles and warm wishes.

May the New Year bring new joys,

And love for always for all you know.

Happy New Year, friends, new and old.

Hope your riches feel like gold.

Love forever and good health, too

Is what I wish for all of you.

Malu Talan 2014

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What My Eyes See Worries Me

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I do not like to get political.  I especially do not want my blog to ever go that way.  With all of the distrust of authority that is going on in the world and the lack of respect for the citizens said authority is supposed to work for, a mama can’t help but worry about the world.  I am not here to say who’s right and who’s wrong in certain situations where people are taking sides.  However, I do have my opinions on something more important to me: my children. 

I worry about what world I have brought my kids into when everywhere you look, there are people suffering while others prosper from their suffering. I worry about whom they can trust and who they can look up to (besides their dad and our wonderful families, of course). I worry about how they can remain good when they see how badly the good are treated sometimes. 

Being from Mexico, now being a U.S. Citizen and having access to news from around the world, so many things I see worry me. I have heard that some people are afraid of the immigration amnesty. The fear is partly because there are some people who are so against it that they deliberately make them feel guilty for wanting a better life. (You can find all kinds of mean spirited remarks all over social media.) Mainly, though, they fear that if they do sign up for amnesty to remain in the states, once the administration changes, they will be on the top of the list for deportation and the amnesty will be revoked.  If the government meant to protect people is constantly fighting and disagreeing, how can we know where will we stand every time the leaderboard changes.  It is a real fear for some. How do you teach your children to respect authority if those in authority do not respect each other?

The government where I am from is not much better, in fact it’s worse.  Corruption runs rampant. There are still some good people trying to make a difference, but it’s hard to have faith when so much needs to be fixed.  I worry about my beautiful Mexico’s future. I worry about my family there.  I worry that my children will only grow up hearing stories about its beauty because they will never get to experience what I did.  I worry about the changes to come, but a little part of me is hopeful for the good changes so many want to be realized…finally.

The world worries me.  There are and have been so many wars, so many battles for control and so many people devastated by those things. The sadness of the world worry me terribly. We shield our children from these horrors as much as we can. We want them to retain their innocence and have the best childhood we can give them. But how much shielding is too much? If we keep the truths from them, will they be strong enough to deal with them when they are introduced to the truths? How do you balance it out? So now I add another item to my list of worries. The world worries me and my actions in dealing with the world worry me.

I would love to hear how you teach your kids about the not so happy things in the world. I am trying to teach them about the world the best I can, but I am keeping it light…for now. I feel they are much too young for some information.  They know that some people have more than others and that some people need a little help from those that have more.  They know that giving is a wonderful thing and helping others will be a part of their lives as long as I can help it. They know that life is different in different places and that no one way is the right way to live and believe. They know that I will always love them no matter where we are and they know that they are as safe as they can be with us.  I hope they never lose their innocence. I know that this won’t last forever, but we will enjoy every precious happy moment as long as we can. I hope you can do the same. We send hugs your way this holiday season.

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I will be taking a little time off for the holidays. It could be a week, maybe two…I haven’t decided yet, but I will peak in daily to read your comments and answer questions. I do hope to see you back here soon.

Be safe!

(If you would like to share my blog, I would be so grateful. You can find it under www.bilingualeyes.wordpress.com. You can also find it in Spanish at www.bilinguazo.worpress.com and on Facebook under www.facebook.com/bilinguazo. And don’t forget to hit me up on Twitter at https://twitter.com/bilinguazo. Thanks a bunch!)

A Little Holiday Stress Relief?

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I know X-Mas decorations have been out since Halloween at stores, I just pretended that they weren’t there. That was way too soon for me to think about it.  But now that we are a month away, I have come to the realization that I should’ve started sooner.  I should have started my crafts long ago because that is how I was going to save money.  I should have started planning for the boys a bit earlier because now I’m not sure what will be under the tree here and what we can take to Mexico to give them.  I do have the comfort of knowing that they are not solely relying on me to make Xmas happen, but I am really starting to feel the rush.  Taking on the challenges that I did (NaBloPo & PiBoIdMo) along with this blog and the blogs I contribute to have really slowed down my other goals. (Yet they have helped my creative juices flow a bit more, so there is that.) I did it to myself, I know, and I still have time to get things in order. Right?

To combat the craziness, I have come up with a plan to help me along.  Any suggestions are welcome and any beautiful craft ideas greatly appreciated. 

  1. Get crafty!

I need to throw out my elaborate plan to make the most amazing X-Mas gifts EVER! Not gonna happen this time.  Sorry family, you may just get a painted card with the kids’ hands on them. I can bust those out in no time!

  1. Finish the crafts I have already started.

I have crafts that I have to get done by this weekend if I want time to do the rest. And I have crafts I have promised so I can’t put off any longer. Of course, I am only talking about Holiday Crafts now. Picture collages and scrapbooking; I probably will get to you when my kids are in college, sorry about that.

  1. Set up holiday decorations.

My kids keep asking for this one. We have managed to convince them that this can’t happen until after Thanksgiving. They have great memories, though, and I’m pretty sure they will be asking for this to happen on ride home from Opa and Oma Thursday afternoon. I better figure out where everything is.

  1. Find ways for the kids to see more of my family’s traditions.

This one is hard because we don’t have that many things close by. That and they would need to happen when my kids are actually awake. (I’m a stickler for routines and schedules.) I want them to experience what I talk about and not just think mama is making things up again. Where can toddlers learn about super cool traditions in Mexico (like posadas)? I need to be better at finding them with enough time to plan for them. There have to be other families with toddlers that want to celebrate together nearby, no?

  1. Write posts in advance.

I naïvely signed up for posts that have to do with holidays. I thought I would have more time! Now I am wondering what I was thinking! Not to worry, though, I will keep my word as a professional blogger (no, seriously, that’s a thing…somewhere) I hope I can do the blogs justice. I need more focus. In order to do that, I need to be able to concentrate on more than one thing a day. How you ask? Maybe with number 5?

  1. Make a list.

I have a million lists everywhere: Things I want to do, places I want to go, things I want to write, things I want to learn, things I want to teach my kids, and things I want to learn to be able to teach my kids and write about doing somewhere fabulous that I want to go to. Whew, that’s a lot to say. I’m not talking about those lists. I am talking about the lists that I can do daily. A list of what I can get done in a day. But then I would need a calendar blaring my deadlines at me so I can make sure those things are on my daily list DAILY and I don’t slack. Thinking about it, I may have too many lists already.

OK, so instead of sitting here making a list of the things I need to do (oh no, I DO have a listing problem), I need to get to work. So I leave you with a question: How do you prepare for the holidays? Are you a planner or do you wait until you really can’t anymore?

Happy Holidays to All! May they be as stress free as possible.

(If you would like to share my blog, I would be so grateful. You can find it under www.bilingualeyes.wordpress.com. You can also find it in Spanish at www.bilinguazo.worpress.com and on Facebook under www.facebook.com/bilinguazo. And don’t forget to hit me up on Twitter at https://twitter.com/bilinguazo. Thanks a bunch!)

Charity Spotlight!

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Babies grow so fast and sometimes it is hard to keep up with the ever-changing diaper sizes. Have you ever wondered what to do with the diapers that your babies have outgrown? I know I couldn’t bring myself to throw them away because they are so crazy expensive and because I always thought I could give them to a friend with younger babies.  I would always forget to ask, of course, so they would just sit in my baby’s closet alone and forgotten. But that is about to change.  Not only can your unused diapers find a new home, they can help save the world! Well, maybe not the world, but they can help a family or a baby in need.

The Austin Diaper Bank is an amazing organization that takes unused diapers and donations for families and babies that are in desperate need for them. Now why hadn’t anyone thought of this before? Beverly Hamilton is the founder/president of the organization and was nice enough to give me some more information about this great charity.

Did you know that assistance programs like WIC or food stamps don’t cover diapers? I had no idea! According to Beverly, “A recent study equated diaper need stress to that of not having enough food. Further, 1 in 12 mothers reported leaving their baby in a soiled diaper longer than necessary (‘stretching’) due to limited resources. I founded the diaper bank because I feel no parent or baby in Central Texas should have to go through that.” How awful for mothers to feel they do not have a choice and worse yet, how awful for babies to have to wear soiled diapers for long periods of time because they have no alternative! I’d like to say kudos to you, Beverly, for taking a stand to change this.

The bank makes sure that those in poverty and other crisis situations (babies, disabled/delayed older children and senior citizens) get the diapers they need. They work with so many different organizations to make sure every baby in need is covered (pun intended). Some of those organizations are Helping Hand Home for Children, Asian Family Support Services of Austin, Hope Alliance, Settlement Home, and Partnership for Children. They also take individual request from families that contact them directly.

How can you help?

  1. Give diapers
  2. Give dollars (rent costs money and we can get way more diapers wholesale than buying at Costco.
  3. Host a diaper drive at your church, work, club, or group and have fun with it!
  4. Raise awareness, spread the word. Share, Like on Facebook/Twitter and tell your mom friends! www.facebook.com/AustinDiaperBank, @austindiapers

Here are some moving testimonials that show what a great impact this organization has. Makes me want to buy extra diapers!

I am so grateful for the Diaper Bank donations. It is great to be able to take any    additional burdens off of our foster families and diapers are such a high need. So many times we have emergency placements where children come in and they just have nothing but the clothes/diaper they are wearing. If a donation of diapers saves them a trip to the store so they are available instead to spend time with the child/children in their home making sure they feel safe and secure; that is a real gift. Thank you so much.-Case worker from Helping Hand Home for Children

Though one client is still living with her natal family, she has been effectively ostracized by her cultural community for divorcing the man who assaulted and married her. While she recovers from the birth of her child, pursues divorce, looks for work and prepares for GED, one young client has greatly benefited from the promise of a regular diaper resource. Her previous income was, and her future income will be, earmarked for the family’s rent. She is incredibly grateful to the Austin Diaper Bank for allowing her to depend on a steady, clean source of diapers for her young son while she attempts to balance all of the other demands of her new life in the United States.-From Program Director of Asian Family Support Services of Austin

One of our recent shelter clients, Clara, had recently fled from a violent boyfriend who was also the head of the household. Daycare would not supply the pull-ups or diapers that her son needed during the day. Mom had no money, no financial options and thought she was going to have to pull her son from daycare all because she was not able to supply them diapers. When she got back to the shelter she was panicked, but when we told her that we could give her a couple cases to get her started, she was more than relieved. Clara was able to take a couple cases to daycare as well as keep a case for her at home. Clara and her son were able to move-in with Clara’s mom, and Clara is enjoying the new freedom of having a job and finding her “purpose” again. – From Hope Alliance

Because of your organization, I was able to provide enough diapers for the entire stay of an emergency foster placement for two infants. They were in the home for only a week, but it was nice to be able to take the burden of also purchasing diapers in the chaos of everything else that was happening. – Settlement Home

Last week, we had a caseworker visit our Rainbow Room at 2:00 a.m. after an emergency removal of an infant from a Meth home. She stopped by the Rainbow Room to grab some diapers and clothing for the infant: when you are removed from a Meth home, you can’t leave with a stitch of clothing on, not even a diaper. The Diaper Bank allows us to, not only, provide diapers in emergency situations, but also to help out families that are struggling to keep their family together.- From Partnerships for Children

Let’s help some deserving families worry about one less thing. Please donate what you can to the Austin Diaper Bank.  If you would like more information about the organization and how to help, please contact Beverly Hamilton at drbeverlyhamilton@gmail.com or call her at 512-922-2602. You can also contact the Austin Diaper Bank via their website at http://www.austindiapers.org/p/contact.html. And don’t forget to like them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.

If you are not in the Austin area, don’t fret. Please go to http://diaperbanknetwork.org/ to see where the closest one to you is.

Thanks for taking time to read this. Do you have any charities you would like to get the word out on? 

I am compiling a list of little known national and Austin based charities for the Austin Moms Blog and can use your help. Please send me any information.  I’d love to learn more about what you support. Thanks again and Happy Days for all!

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