The Joys of Being a Parent: I’m The Mom That Draws On Napkins

And the award for "Best Mom" goes to....

Nina Levy

You may remember, last week the award went to David Laferriere for being the best dad ever!  He earned the award because of the many drawings he creates on his kid's sandwich bags.  Well, now there's Nina Levy, who is an absolutely amazing artist.  She creates these magnificent drawings that are out of this world.  And she's been doing them every night for the past 6 years!

I have been drawing pictures on napkins for my sons' lunch boxes every night for the last six years. I usually get requests, although they are sometimes hard to fulfill- "I want Nightwing and Kid Flash blowing up the Brotherhood of Evil while Batman and Superman watch." Read More

Check these out! 

 8 More Napkins After the jump...

Isn't This The Truth? There's Mom, Then There's Dad

LMAO. It's so true!

For more Isn't This The Truth? click here and scroll down

The Joys of Being a Parent: I’m The Dad That Draws On Sandwich Bags

And the award for "Best Dad" goes to....

David Laferriere.

This special Dad has been drawing on his kids sandwich bags for over 5 years.  His kids don't see the images until they sit down for lunch and look to see what Dad drew for them on that particular day.  I think it's one of the greatest things I've seen online for quite some time.   

This is definitely what The Joys of Being a Parent is all about.

 
Plenty more pics after the jump...

Quick-Pic 004: Little Romeo Beckham, A Doll

Awww, the cute and adorable son of Posh Spice aka Victoria Beckham and Soccer pro, David Beckham wanted a doll so they took their little Romeo to American Girl and had one made.  For those who have no idea what American Girl is, it is the equivalent to Build-A-Bear Workshop, except instead of building a bear - you build yourself a doll.  It brings a tear to my eye seeing parents engaging their child like this.  Kudos to the Beckhams!

This is just another example of how the world is changing around us.  It truly does get better!

Image courtesy of WoW.

Must Watch: The Secret of La Chancla

OMG, never fear "La Chancla" is here!  I'm laughing my ass off right now; Like a whole lot.  Only a Hispanic child would know where I'm coming from with this.  But feel free to watch the video if you're from a different ethnic background. LOL.

Ohhhh, the dreaded "Chancla" - that sandal that our mother's would threaten us with.  And boy, did it work.  I can't recall how many times our mother threatened us with it, but one thing is certain - we grew up dreaming about it.  All she had to do was say the word, and my sister and I would run for our dear lives!  No wonder we turned out to be great kids. **coughs**

The video will explain it all for you - it's a definite must-watch!

A Very Special Moment - Issue #4: The Last Mile

Last night, Ryan and I were balling our eyes out after watching this astounding video.  And it isn't so much that it's a 15-yr-old boy sharing his feelings or his thoughts on a matter that is close to our hearts, but the fact the boy has the courage and willpower to stand up in front of hundreds of people and tell it like it truly is.

Watching this video last night made me witness the power of marriage, the power of love and the power of family come together; And it will for you too.  Watch this video, you won't regret it.   This truly is... A Very Special Moment.
 

The Joys of Being a Parent: Tooth Fairy, I'm Not Mad

A 7-yr old girl left a note for the Tooth Fairy and it was simply adorable.  I had to include it as part of "The Joys of Being a Parent," because boy, it surely is!

The Woes of Being a Bad Parent - The Chocolate Egg

God bless this poor kid's heart.  He trusted his daddy would give him a delicious chocolate candy called an OVO, made by Kinder.  

Well... 

He didn't get a chocolate egg.  Ohhh, "The Woes of Being a Bad Parent." Or not?

I'll be honest, I laughed at the video, but then stopped as I saw the kid crying and crying.  I can't count the number of times I grew up facing these type of scenarios.  Especially from most of my male cousins.  It's hard to say once a bully, always a bully, because I believe people can change. But there's a limit to what we can do.  We grow up trusting our moms and dads, look to them for nourishment and guidance, and never expect them to betray us.

What do you think? Should you troll your child? Do you think it's okay if it's only done once?

I think if you do it once, then leave it at that and explain to the child what you just did.  But if you continuously do it throughout their life, I truly believe deep scars will be made, that you wish you hadn't inflicted upon them.

The Hard Task of Being a Loving Parent: Kids Go Ape Sh*t Crazy Over The Odd Life of Timothy Green

Okay, parents should be arrested for this.  Just kidding, don't get all riled up.  But c'mon, why put your kids through torture by taking them to a movie you knew was not going to have a happy ending? That's why there's Disney cartoons.  

So maybe you didn't know what was going to happen - so what!  The moment you started feeling something wasn't going right, you should have grabbed your kids by the arm, pulled them out of their theater seats, and taken them to eat at McDonald's. LOL.

Instead you opted for this... 


And then you further humiliated your kiddos by making a video to post on blogs like mine. Aye, Aye, Aye.

The Woes of Being a Bad Parent - Tossing Toddler

You all know me by now, and if you don't, you'll learn after a while.  I'm always open to placing controversial subjects on my blog, and this one is no different. 

While most may agree with me, I have those who don't.  And that is okay, because that is what being open-minded and honest about your opinions is all about.  If we didn't have our disagreements, this would be a very dull world.

So here's little boy blue, having a wonderful, wonderful time.  While he seems to be enjoying himself flying through the air like Superman, I'm go to say this is very, very dangerous game, wouldn't you agree?  Ahhh, The Woes of Being a Bad Parent

But is he necessarily being a bad parent? Sure, he could have made the mistake of tossing the baby on the floor (on his head) and causing serious bodily injury, but does that necessarily make him a bad parent?

Facebook Shooting Father & CPS

Back in February I posted a video of a father who scolded his daughter by destroying her laptop.  And it wasn't just a simple disassembling of the device, he did it by shooting the crap out of it.  LOL.  If you don't remember, you can see the video here.

Well ever since that happened, Mr. Tommy Jordan has welcomed guests to his humble home; Child Protective Services and ABC Good Morning America to name a few.

“Yes they came. Of course they came,” Jordan exclaimed. “They received enough ‘Oh my God he’s going to kill his daughter’ comments that they had to.”

“At the end of the day, no I’m not losing my kids, no one’s in danger of being ripped from our home that I know of,” he added.

According to the article I read this morning, A CBS poll found that 78 percent of the public agreed with the Father's actions, 10 percent felt he went too far by shooting the laptop, and the remaining 12 percent thought that the way someone acts as a parent is nobody's business. What do you think? Did the father react appropriately? What would you've done differently?

Saturday Morning Coffee Break: The Wedding Dance

If you haven't had your coffee this morning, go grab a cup, and come back to watch this short film.  It was absolutely amazing.  I have been wanting to share this video since it was released last month, but I needed to find the right time.  And today's the perfect day.  So, even if you don't drink coffee I hope you enjoy today's Saturday Morning Coffee Break.  Oh, and grab your tissue box too.

On Valentine's Day last month, Elliot London, a 31-yr old director trying to make it in Hollywood, released this three-minute film titled, "The Wedding Dance".  It has a surprise ending and truly hits close to home for so many Gay Americans.  You can read more about Elliot on his Vimeo page and learn more about his dreams and aspirations to help the LGBT community.  Learn about his growing up poor, being an only child, and terrified of the day when his fellow classmates would find out his deepest, darkest secret - that he was gay.

I'm here wishing you great success Elliot, and hope your dreams come true. ~ Peter aka Blade7184

If you wish to look back at some previous issues, click my logo below and enjoy.  Make sure to check out Saturday Morning Coffee Break every Saturday for another classic or current gay short film.

Credits for Elliot London's short film, The Wedding Dance are after the jump.  Feel free to visit the links he has provided or you can visit his YouTube page for this information as well.

The Joys of Being a Parent: A Dad's Reply To Son in College

Ahhhh, "The Joys of Being a Parent" with a kid in college. LOL.  And if you don't have a teenager attending one yet, expect it soon, because this is what it's like.  This was absolutely hilarious, but absolutely genius at the same time.  Way to go Dad. LOL.

Laugh of the Day: The Birds and The Bees

OMG, this was absolutely-crazy-hilarious.  I dare you to watch this video.  Better yet, I double dog dare you.  LOL.  I could never imagine my parents talking to me about the birds and the bees.  Are you kidding me?  If they were anything like these two, I would've thrown up.  It's mom and dad c'mon!!!

The Hard Task of Being a Loving Parent: Father Scolds Daugther and Destroys Her Laptop for Facebook Status

Videos are going crazy-viral these days, and since this is going around I had to blog about it.
I honestly didn't know what to post this under, because I have two series that are currently running on my blog, "The Joys of being a Parent," and "The Woes of being a Bad Parent."  

Obviously the parent isn't being bad, he's just trying teach his daughter a lesson after she wrote a harsh status update on Facebook about him, her mother, step-mother, and the "cleaning lady" he refers to as Linda.

So because there's no joy in having to punish or ground our kids, and the father was not being a bad parent, I will post this under, "The Hard Task of Being a Loving Parent."  It is a hard task.  What would you have done differently?  I respect my parents so much more today than I ever did for the scolding, grounding, spanking I received growing up, and there was no Facebook.  So just imagine. LOL.

Warning: Since this video seems to have gone crazy, I figure I'll post this notice. I'm going to read a letter my 15 year old daughter wrote. There ARE some curse words in it. None of them are incredibly bad, but they are definitely things a little kid shouldn't hear... not to mention things MY KID shouldn't say! If you want to see the original Facebook thread, it's located at: http://www.facebook.com/tommyjordaniii/posts/299559803434210

Documentaries To Watch: Always My Son

When I first saw this video 2 years ago I was struck by how close it hit to home.  It was hard enough being hispanic in a country where we're considered a minority.  But I also had to lie to keep my homosexuality a secret from the people I cared most about, and it tore me up inside. I would pray to God every night hoping he would fix me.  Little did I know, he couldn't fix what he had created.

Here you have a father who's an ex-marine, a devoted christian, and a loving husband and he has to come to grips with the fact that he has a gay son.  As you watch the video below you will come across one of my favorite parts of the documentary - when the boy's father realizes God couldn't possibly condemn his son.  "I thought to myself inside that everything I've ever been taught that it's an abomination and yes, he's going to hell, but I also quicky thought.... my son, he's a beautiful kid, he's compassionate, he's warm, he cares for people, he's respectful, he's kind. How? If we have such a loving God, How could God condemn my son to hell?"

Always My Son is one of a series of short documentary films that were being produced by the Family Acceptance Project to help ethnically and religiously diverse families decrease their LGBT children's risk for suicide, substance abuse, depression, HIV, homelessness and placement in foster care or juvenile justice settings -- by increasing family support.[source] [source]

Baby Sleeping Positions You Know Are True

This blog is for those parents who find themselves in these positions day in and day out, for those parents who can reflect on these positions, and for those "parents to be" - this is what you can expect. LOL.  

I especially love the "snow angels" and "I'm not speaking to you" baby positions. LMAO.

The Joys of Being a Parent: Father vs. Daughter in a Battle of Wits

Ahhh, the joys of being a parent....  LOL. This is what I'm talking about.  This has to be the cutest video ever!  Well, at least "one of" the cutest videos ever.  There's too many that are just as great.  In either case, this is the way the father describes it on his You Tube page:

It's Maddie vs Daddy as I interrogate my baby daughter to reveal her favorite parent. What takes place is a ruthless contest of cunning and skill... with one of us clearly out of our league.

Season 2 of Shameless Premieres Tomorrow Night! [video]

If you haven't seen the television series Shameless, shame on you.  You're missing out on a good show.  Ryan and I watched the first season last year and have been looking forward to the second season for almost a year now.  The second season premieres tomorrow night on Showtime at 8 PM Central Time.  

For those unfamiliar with the show... it centers around a dysfunctional Chicago family that manages to function against all odds. The father drinks more often than not, he has a son whose smart, but uses his smarts to get what he wants.  He has another son whose gay who slept with his Muslim boss while exploring his sexuality,  a younger son who loves getting in to trouble, a daughter who keeps the family together and who's pretty much the head of the household, another daughter who is the most sensitive of them all - she's young, has a good heart but most of all, sneaky.  And finally there's Liam, the little black toddler who we have yet to find out where he came from.  All we know is that he has two white parents.

The Joys of Being a Parent: Oh My Gosh!

You see, this is what The Joys of Being a Parent is all about.  If you can't handle this, then you shouldn't have kids. LOL. Just say'n.

In all seriousness though, I'm sure the mom's reaction was far worse after realizing what had happened.  She probably got pissed, then said, "fuck it, let me get my camera".  Sorry for the French, but that's what I would have said.  In my head, of course.

Mommy was not feeling well and had to stay in the bathroom longer than usual during which my two boys, ages 1 and 3 took my new bag of flour out of the cupboard and destroyed my house. This is from ONE 5lb bag. Don't believe me? Hand a full bag to a 3 year old and see what happens.