Ok… so 3 things I have in common with all 3 of my daughters are part of the title…

• Science (stay tuned about our visit to COSI)
• Music
• Girly-girl-beautification-fluffiness

I have had the opportunity to spend some incredible time with my youngest. At 11:24am on April 4, 2018 my life was miraculously changed. I will remember that time and day along the lines of the birth of a child… my phone rang and I was told news that would change my life, and it did.

I have a newer, more sparkly way of looking at life. I feel immortal and whimsical, but just like Mario, I have to keep and eye out for King Koopa, who is always kidnapping Princess Peach. The difference between my life and the Mushroom Kingdom is that I never recall Bowser making the slight attempt to be considerate to Mario. Hypothetically, I think that Mario would be indefatigably skeptical, as I am. Smile and wave, Mario. Smile and wave.

I do and always have enjoy(ed) great makeover-time with my daughters. Emma, Lily, and I have enjoyed some facials lately, including microdermabrasion. I have so many fond memories of makeovers and such! Alyssa (Pipsqueak) also loves when we touch up our make-up in the bathroom. I have assembled a small makeup kit with brushes (used, for more of an authentic look), a foundation sponge, some empty powder containers, lip gloss, and whatever else I could throw in there🤪. She puts lotion on her foundation sponge and blots it over her face. She loves our primping time, but not as much as I do 🙂

Another thing I have been doing is listening to more music and watching less tv (namely Lucifer. Dang his accent. 😍) I have been making playlists, namely for my ‘Squeaky‘ car rides. Alyssa loves a handful of songs, ranging from Hillsong United, to Indie pop.

I’ve also made a playlist for my 11-year-old, Lillian. It’s mostly Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift, but there’s a song from The Clash on it. I’m embarrassed to say that I secretly love T-Swizzle, despite what my close friends of the earlier part of this decade may believe 😂 darn catchy tunes. One of my closest friends, Mikey, knows a lot about her. I think he and I are gonna start an anonymous TAYTAY support group.

Emma’s playlist consists of punk and power pop. I have become addicted to pop meets punk… er punk meets pop… well, the ensnaring of punk/pop. That’s become my workout music, my playlist is a mix of the 3 threads of my daughters’ playlists with some 90’s, alternative rock, and classic rock added. I love me some Van Hagar 😍!

So back to the working out… as you all know I was in an automobile-accident in 2015 that put me into a 2-month coma with a Traumatic Brain Injury. I have been trying so hard to achieve happiness and contentment with my 2nd chance at life. I celebrated my 3-year ‘rebirthday‘ April 10, 2018. I have been wanting to make more of an effort to improve my physical body, and there’s no better time than now. Over the last 3 years, I have reached out to different wellness centers nearby, and none of them felt welcoming. I was trying to learn what types of activities would benefit my shortcomings, and it was hard to even get a return call. A week or two ago, I visited a local sports and wellness center, The Fieldhouse, and talked to the owner, Mic Amicone, and the President, Alainna Amicone-Durfee. They were very excited to help me start on the path to taking control of my physical situation minutes into our first conversations. It gave me a good feeling, and hope ☺️.

In the beginning, there was light!

My right-foot doesn’t cooperate, which is my biggest setback, among other things. I started on a cycle-trainer and felt good about my progress, so after about 30 minutes of that, I decided to check out a cardio class, which was kind of a big jump on day 1… the instructor, Tressa Reilly, who I found out was also the Director of Group Fitness, was very friendly and gave tips for my maximum benefit without making me feel uncomfortable (I mean, I’m obviously not 100%!) I stayed the entire class and gave it my best shot. Alainna and Tressa asked me after class what my goal was, and I told them to kick a soccer ball. So do you know what they did? They encouraged me to do it. AND I DID IT! I feel invincible… like a million bucks. I fell, and I didn’t kick it well, but I achieved my goal… because I can do anything I put my mind and heart to.

My conclusion is that when King Koopa tries to spit fire at you and succeeds at stealing Princess Peach, stay:

• Strong (emotionally and physically)
• Positive and optimistic
• Rational and respectful

Utilize the friends and skills you have. There are many challenges ahead and the road will get tougher…in due time, you will conquer. You will be stronger than you believe you ever were or could be.

You will save Princess Peach.

Thank you for stopping by! Subscribe so you can see what’s on my mind, next 😘 come again, soon!

Well, I’ve made the decision to devote this bloggery to a pandemic: parental alienation. It has affected me for going on 3 years.

I was recently a guest on a great internet-radio show, Far From Normal. I have learned a lot and have embraced what is near to my heart.

4/10/2018 Far From Normal radio show

I don’t want drama.

I don’t want negativity.

I just want to be a mom to the daughters that I have brought into this world.

I formed them inside of me and I have become a victim of alienation from them. I take responsibility for not handling everything perfectly, but I will use the excuse of the mental despair that alienation causes. There are far too many malefactors in, not only my case, but quite a few cases.

What is happening is that enemies are putting themselves above what is best for the children. Assailants are aspersing each other. In my case, it was my children’s fathers’ previous attorney and not only them, but namely the females in their lives that caused thousands of dollars in improvidence and thousands of hours of melancholy.

Lie after lie, after lie have been formulated in an attempt to bring me down, and did (successfully) for a small amount of time. I have done nothing but accept responsibility for my faults and have learned to grow.

My daughter’s fathers are 100% their fathers, despite who I chose to have in my life, and guess what? I am 100% their mother. I have never tried to replace them, and I stand firm that I never will.

I have been told that I need to just die by one of said women. Of course she isn’t owning up to saying it. I’m owning up to things that I have said or done that I’m not proud of, but that’s what gives me the confidence to fight back toward hatred and animosity. I don’t have to deactivate and reactivate my social media and I sleep well at night, because even though I am not friends with my daughter’s fathers’, I’m respecting them and not creating arduous accusations and lies to contravene them.

Every child has a fundamental right and need for an unthreatened and loving relationship with both parents. To be denied that right by one parent, without sufficient justification such as abuse or neglect, is itself a form of child abuse.

For the child, parental alienation is a serious mental condition, based on a false belief that the alienated parent is dangerous and formidable.

The severe effects of parental alienation on children are well-documented are widespread, as children lose the capacity to give and accept love from a parent:

• low self-esteem
• self-hatred
• lack of trust
• depression
• substance abuse and other forms of addiction

Parental Alienation and Parental Substitution

Parental substitution is exactly what it sounds like. Replacing a parent with another, giving the child the impression (and ultimately, if allowed to go on long enough, the conclusion) that someone other than the child’s parent is really the parental figure. If the biological parent isn’t, or has no interest in being, in the child’s life that’s an exception to this summary.

What I am implying as improper parental substitution: a father and his girlfriend have influenced his son or daughter to believe she has two mothers – his girlfriend and the child’s biological mother. Let’s further assume in our hypothetical this parental substitution has gone on for many years before the biological parent got any rights, even though she was actively (though not equally) involved in the child’s life and even though she was weary of what he saw.

This is not unusual and when any parent, father or mother, sees him or herself being replaced in the child’s eyes, that parent experiences, what is now recognized in the DSM-V as an official disorder. Thanks to the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) is now, basically, logged in as an official disorder. The new (more broad) category of “child psychological abuse” is defined as “non-accidental verbal or symbolic acts by a child’s parent or caregiver that result, or have reasonable potential to result, in significant psychological harm to the child.”

My older daughters aren’t sure what to believe. They get one hour a week with me and 167 hours a week without me. That one hour is not enough time to try and prove that I’m not as much of a miscreant as I’m implied to be. My youngest and I have a far better relationship, but it’s obvious that she is confused. I know that she knows I am her mother. I can sense where my mother is and has been because of a special bond that we have, and I know for a fact that my youngest and I have that bond, as well. I’m hoping my older daughters chose to have me in their lives, but I respect that, at this moment, they do not. It doesn’t change the amount of love I have for them, nor does it change the amount of sorrow my heart feels by missing them.

We can all agree that the world needs to learn respect toward one another, but this blog, specifically, calls out parents and step-parents. Try to show respect to each other, for the kids.

Thank you for stopping by, come again soon 💜

We all know the the last few years have been rough. Not just on me, on almost everyone. I can’t say I’m the only person that struggles, I know I am not the only one.

Life can be hard!

What I have learned is that a cliche quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, that I have attempted to live by most of my life, is very true:

Most of you know my story. I woke up from a coma, and had lost nearly everything. My body. My baby. My house. My boyfriend. My job. My independence. Quite a bit.Thankfully my daughters were not physically harmed… And thankfully I SURVIVED (it has taken me years to understand that 😊).

I was so thankful that my parents were by my side. There were other people from my past by my side, and I was vulnerable and naive. Those people from my past were mentally preparing for my death. I had a difficult time coping with the events that occured, as I have previously discussed. I thought my failed marriage was going to rekindle due to the fact my ex-husband and his mother had sat by my side nearly the entire time I was in the hospital.

On what would have been our 12th anniversary, he revealed to me that he had no interest in rekindling the family I was working so hard to redeem, mentally and physically. It put my arbitrarily poor mental health into a most-damaging state. I have accepted that there are bitter emotions on both sides, but there is no reciprocal effort for peace.

I have spent the last 3 years attempting to and successfully improving myself. I am really proud of how far I have come. Unfortunately in that time, I have allowed quite a few people to manipulate me, but I’m no longer beating myself up, I’m learning and I’m growing. There have been lies upon lies being either constructed or conceived as truthful by a number of people (myself included).

I just don’t know what to believe.

I can only go by facts. Hatred and hostility,anger and arbitration, cruelty and coarseness are being disembogued.

There is evil in the world, I know that for a fact. My parents have made an effort to instill in me that you CAN NOT trust anyone but yourself💯. I have always had a big heart and tried to trust quite a few people, but I am realizing I could not and should not. It’s very unfortunate.

The moral of this heartfelt rant:

• You have to stay positive and optimistic, even in the darkest of times.

• You have to trust yourself, and if you can not, work toward improving yourself to the point where you can.

• You have to trust in The Power that controls your life. My God is the power that controls mine.

I’m thankful for the few people that I know I can, reciprocally, depend on to listen to me scream/cry and celebrate our individual victories.

I told a dear-friend today that it makes my heart super-happy to celebrate their victories with them, and it really does give me joy.

Most of all, I’m thankful for my father, Rick, my mother, Pam, and my Creator.

I love you all. 💜

Thank you for visiting, come again soon (:

*if you ever need to vent, I have an ear, shoulder, and heart. EMAIL ME. It will get better! Sending positive vibes🌈✨😊✨

Ok, so over the last couple of years, I have (finally) accepted that social media is the devil.

I’m not perfect, but I’m (more) cognitive of things I (should and should not) post on social media.

Some people that I have really thought highly of have, over-dramatically, attempted to hurt me via social media. Again, I’m not innocent in reciprocating. I’m disappointed in all of us.

I have seen others hurting or trying to hurt over social media, and that makes me sad.

I have seen family turn their back on family because of social media, and that makes me sad.

I have seen people post personal problems that they should not have posted, and that makes me sad.

Things I feel are stunted by social media:

Interpersonal communication/non-verbal behavior:

the real world has many opportunities to be inclusive, unfortunately, the internet prevents verbal communication and the development of social cues. Non-verbal communication over the Internet is nearly impossible to read. Am I laughing or and I saying this sternly? You don’t know. Positive messages are read as more neutral than they are intended to be; neutral messages are read as more negative as they are intended to be and one can only imagine what happens with messages that are intended to be negative. Also, you lose the ability to interact, mindfully, in the moment.

Teamwork:

it’s hard to learn how to cooperate with others on the Internet.

Circadian rhythms:

I don’t know how many nights I have lost sleep over social-media drama. I’m 100% I’m not the only one. If you haven’t been directly bothered, you have been bothered by someone close that has.

Modesty:

Things get posted that are not appropriate for others to see, and over time, it has caused our standards to decrease, leading to increased sexual immorality. It’s a downward spiral.

Harassment/cyber-bullying:

it’s so easy to tear someone down if you’re not looking at the tears rolling down their face. I can say that first-hand, I’ve said some hurtful things, and never thought twice about the recipient. I’ve cried from it being done to me.

THE REAL WORLD:

Go outside! Smell the flowers! Yes you can see them on social media, but YOU CAN ALSO SEE THEM IN PERSON!!

Last night around 8:00pm, I was texting a great friend, and this texting/social media thing has been eating at my last nerve. I asked him to meet me, IN PERSON (weird, nowadays) and really enjoyed eating fries and drinking sodas with him! I mentioned my frustration with the portrait that social media paints about everyone. The people, in real-life, aren’t as crazy as social media portrays them.

Take this time and review your social media.

What does it say about you as a person?It’s not that you or I need to impress anyone, but I feel we need to present ourselves with pride, not trashy-dramatic-condescending trash. A lot of the things I have mentioned above, I have been guilty of. I’m trying to clean up my act in 2018 and

I’m proud of the woman/mother/person I’m trying to be

and my confidence reflects my presentation. Again, I’m certainly not perfect and I have flaws. But gosh darn it, I’m trying. 😊

I delete/ignore/block the provocation and drama. There isn’t anybody that has time for it 😂💯

Thanks for reading and stop back soon!!!