Summer vacation! How to keep our little ones entertained? How to find foster grandparents? LOL

It's Summer, Vacation, we are glad we don't need to get our cranky kids out of the bed for a while but  here is the question? What to do to keep them entertained and not having to hear all the time, "mommy I am bored"? "Mom, I have nothing to do!!!" My answer is always, go clean your room!!! And there she comes with a smart ass comment "I said I am bored, I want something fun to do, I don't want to work" LOL 

Seriously, I have no clue. I know about all the camping they have out there for kids but, my daughter is 7 and I have no clue what to do...

All I know is, I have all this embroidery to get done and  I need to keep an eyes on my daughter. My thoughts are always  what is she doing? She has been riding her scooter on the side walk with kids from our street, is this safe? I mean, lately I don't seen to get focused on anything because my mind is always busy with so many things.

Oh how I wish I had my parents living close to me... My daddy and mommy would keep Isabella entertained all the time, isn't that what grandparents are for anyways? I imagine how life would be so much easier for me if I could focus on my work only, while being sure that my little girl were in good hands. Dream on Zee... Dream on...

They have Foster home for animals and kids but where are the Foster Grandparents home? LOL Yep, I am serious... I so wish I could find Isabella some foster grandparents here in the USA...

If you have any idea what a seven years old daughter could be engaged while on summer vacation, something safe, would you please let me know?

OK, as you have noticed, I have been so busy lately, haven't even had the time to post here, but life will slow down and then I will catch up LOL

You all have a blessed day!

God Bless 

Zee

www.myfirstbirthdaydress.com

Happy 10th Anniversary to us :))

It's Thursday and my heart is singing with joy. Not because it is Thursday and the week is almost over, it is because tomorrow Brian and I will spoil ourselves this weekend. Tomorrow after lunch time we will be leaving to Galena, IL for the weekend. We need so much this time for ourselves... We haven't gone to Brazil this year, w  haven't had a real vacation where we can rest and enjoy each other's company. It's really bugging me that we are leaving Isabella behind, I know for sure I will see things that she loves doing and I will wish she was there with us but, for once in my life I will try to relax. 

Yesterday May 29th was our 10 years anniversary... I remember as it was yesterday, we planned on spending our 10th  anniversary in Venice, Italy. It wont happen this time, maybe ten more years... LOL

It's OK, we are staying at Eagle Ridge SPA Resort in Galena, IL. Their webpage looks beautiful and a beautiful place. Guess what? We are going on a hot air balloon ride :))))))))))) I cant wait for that.

I will try to not touch my phone as much.I am taking my little camera with me :)) Have you guys notice that the smart phones have replaced people? We go to restaurants, go out with friends and there we have our phones on the table... The excuse is our kids but deep inside we know we are addicted to our phones. To me is even worse because I get myself working everywhere, replying e-mails...

I want to fall in love with my husband all over again this weekend. Not that I don't love him... I LOVE him more than life but, falling in love is so necessary, just like the first time :) ( now that reminded of of Bryan Adams song, "please forgive me"

"It still feels like our first night together

Our first anniversary :)

Feels like the first kiss It's getting better baby No one can better this Still holding on You're still the one First time our eyes met Same feeling I get Only feels much stronger I want to love you longer Do you still turn the fire on?"

I have this good feeling inside today. This feeling that tells me that life is going to get much better for us... It's summer and if it wasn't for the tornadoes that have been going on lately, I would say, summer is my favorite season of the year :)) We have tornadoes summer time so, nope, Spring is my favorite one LOL

It's so interesting that I look around and I get myself  surrounded with work to get done. I am so surprised that I am not freaking out about leaving for the weekend tomorrow... I guess Zee is finally realizing that she just can do so much... Life is short, there will always be embroidery to be done but I will take what I can get from this life.. I mean all the good things :) I don't take, haters, sadness, or anything bad, but I will take all the good I can get :)... Sorry, I am feeling a little bit selfish today :) I am allowing myself to do so...

My entire life has been everything and everybody else first and then me... Not this weekend.. Yep, I will post pictures :))

I want to say Happy anniversary to my husband and thank him so much for putting up with me, the workaholic Zee LOL Love you honey...

Happy Anniversary to us!!!!!

Have a great weekend and God bless you all!

Zee

Sometimes I work with birthdays dresses, sometimes I work with goodbye pieces...

Today is Sunday evening. I have just gotten back from my bike ride. My legs are really sore, that is what happen when we get older I guess... LOL

I have always been working on First Birthday dresses, pretty garments, but, today I worked on embroidering the lid insert of a casket. Never thought I would do such a type of work someday. I never liked getting close to caskets, seeing one, or touching it, I don't like anything that is related to death, I have this feeling since I was a child. I was always  scared of walking on the sidewalk of a funeral home, it would remind me about losing my loved ones, not afraid of death  myself but, losing the ones I love, scares me so much. I know this is what life is about but, if I can, I'd rather not to think about it. Today, it was different though, I was doing my work with so much love and when it was done I kissed the piece and said: - Rest in peace young man, I pray that you find the light...

 The sad part is, it is for the casket of fourteen years old boy who killed himself over a girl. The entire time I was working on it I was praying that God give strength to the parents of this kid. I didn't know him,  just an embroidery work that I had to get done for the funeral home but it touched my heart. There is no way in the world that one could do this job and not wonder what this family is going through...

It made me feel like holding my kids close to me and never letting them go. It made me think so much about that mommy and daddy...We hear all kinds of stuff happening out there but, we never think that it can happen to us. We parents, never imagine our children passing away first than us.

I guess when we need to get something done, God give us the strength we need to. It was just like when my grandma passed away.

Last time I saw grandma Virginia Pecanha

My grandma and I were very close, sometimes I would get myself thinking, grandma is over 90 years old and how will it be like life without her? I was always scared.

But it happened. I knew my grandma was getting weaker and very sick. My mom told me, Zee, if you want to see grandma  still alive, you should come soon because I have the feeling she wont be here for too long.

So, I decided we better plan a trip to Brazil soon. I got there late afternoon, it was a tiresome trip, over ten hours in an airplane, I was exhausted when we finally got to my parents home. Some cousins were visiting, one of my cousin told me that grandma had been asking about me the whole day, she wanted to see me when I got in Brazil. I told my cousin I would wait until the next morning, when I would be more rested. She said, you should not wait Zee, grandma wants to see you as soon as you got here. So, there I got to my grandma home. She was so thin, sad expression but her eyes brightened up when she saw me. We talked a lot about all kinds of stuff, but for some reason grandma kept asking me what I thought it would happen to us when we die. Do you believe we will be born again? I didn't like that type of talk with my grandma... So she held my hand and told me: - Zee do you remember that vacation when you were fifteen and we went to Sao Paulo to spend couple weeks at your uncle's home? I said: Yes grandma, I do, why are you asking me this?

She then said: I never forgave myself for shortening the trip and wanting to be back home earlier than we planned before. I remember how mad you got about me, you had planned having a lot of fun with your cousin... I always wanted to ask you to forgive me for that, I felt like I ruined your vacation... Can you please forgive me in the name of God?

I was so weird, I said: -Grandma, that was a long time I go, I never hated you for that, I got over it next day, I cant believe you held that in your heart for all these years! There is nothing to be forgiven grandma. I always loved you and was thankful for you...

I couldn't believe the relief feeling that she had on her expression: _ Oh thank God you were never mad at me, I have always thought about that and couldn't forgive myself for doing that to you. I can die in peace now....

We talked some more and my daddy took grandma to her bed.  That same night at 3:00 AM we were called that my grandma had passed way...

Grandma had nine children of her own and raised two nephews, eleven children total. Guess who was the one who took care of all arrangement for grandma's funeral?  Yes, you are right, it was me, the one who is afraid of cemetery, caskets and everything related to death. I even took care of all my grandma's burial place and picked the clothes she was buried with. I was so strong... After all was over with, I couldn't believe all the stuff I did. I was telling my uncles and daddy what to do and how, like a pro. I will always love you Grandma... I know you are resting and enjoying a better life now...

I've learned that when we have to go through something difficult, somehow we are given all the strength we need.

That is what I thought it happened today. It was a sad work but somebody had to do it. The kid used to go hunting with his grandpa and daddy, they wanted to have a deer embroidered on his casket inside. I did it. I am so glad I could do my best, work on a Sunday for a teenager who has ended his life so early...

God bless you...

Zee

Just stopping by to say Hello :)

Hello :)

I've been so busy with so many things going on that I haven't stop by to say "Hi" and let you know how things are at #My First Birthday Dress place.

Life has been pretty hectic lately.. I no longer have my helper. Debbie, just like me has her own dream and also wants to have her own Embroidery Business a success. I thought I would let her go I can be her friend and Mentor only. I think my place is to small for two ladies trying to get around this table, plus, you know, I am Brazilian and like the hot weather, Debbie is American and wants the cool air. Too many differences LOL. I have realized that while I am working out of my own home, I cant have helpers. I like my privacy too much, I like doing whatever I feel like doing, plus many other stuff.

Well, at least I tried and now I can tell for sure that I am not ready yet...

Today has been a good and busy day at Embroidea, got a lot of embroideries done and I even found a time to take a nap during my lunch time lol,  the beauty of working from home :))

Amelia and her Mommie

Today, more dresses went out to Virginia and I got to see the little face of Amelia who wore one of my First Birthday dresses on her special day! How cool is that? :) I love when my mommies send me pictures of their little ones :)) I pray that our Lord protect every little kids in this world. So many sad things going on lately. The tornadoes in Oklahoma was a catastrophe, God bless and be with all those people who lost their loved ones. Houses, cars, personal belongings we can get another one but they will never get back the loved ones they lost... My prayers and thoughts are with them..

Well kids... It's getting pretty late here... Tomorrow will be another day and a much better one :)

Have a great evening :)

God bless

Zee

Happy 22nd Birthday to the most beautiful and lovable daughter in the world

May, 19^th 1991, twenty two years ago the most beautiful baby girl I had ever seen in my life was born. I got a call from the hospital in the middle of the night telling me that my daughter was born at 11:35 PM. I could hardly wait until the next morning to go and pick Tamy up. Charles, my oldest son was six years old, we both drove to the hospital to meet our little baby girl for the first time. She was amazingly BEAUTIFUL… Our hearts were filled with joy and happiness when we finally got to hold her in our arms. WOW, she was going to be my baby girl, my Tamy.... So, After all the paper work was signed and done, we headed back home. Charles was sitting on the back seat holding her on his lap, I would watch him through the rear mirror, his eyes were shinning, he was smiling, satisfied, he was holding her little tiny fingers. So many times he would ask me to buy him a little brother or sister because all of his friends had siblings but him, he was feeling so happy. He finally had his little sister to protect, to love and adore. He would feed her bottles, watch her, kiss her all the time. 
We got home, I put her in her little bassinet that I had prepared for her on the side of my bed. I was watching her and finally it registered in my brain that now I had a tiny little baby to take care and protect from that moment on… I had never taken care of a little baby before. Charles was 2 years old when he became my son. I started crying, my son asked me why I was crying: - Aren't you happy mom? - Yes I am happy, I am very happy that is why I am crying… I remembered when I was a child and used to watch “Tammy and the Bachelor” TV show, I loved Tammy when she was a little girl and lived with her grandpa in a boat at the Mississippi river. I would dream that someday, when I was older and had a baby girl I was going to name her Tammy” just like in the TV show. She was innocent, sweet and funny… Oh I love Tammy…

I finally had my little Tamy. My ex, the one who went by himself to get her birth certificate, misspelled her name to the county clerk, so my Tamy has only one “M” duh!!!! LOL

Tamy brought so much happiness to our life, she has always been the sweetest daughter, loving, caring, intelligent, always got straight “A” at school. Never had to worry about her, always the greatest daughter in the entire world. Tamy was always good at saving her money. I always thought Tamy would make a great business person, an account or an engineer, she has always done great with numbers. When we moved from Brazil to Springfield in 2003, Tamy didn't speak any English at all, six months later, she was making the Honor Roll at her school. No need for ESL (English as Second Language) anymore, she spoke English better than I did and nowadays, she doesn't even have an accent!!! LOL I am so jealous!! LOL

During High school, Tamy got lost for a little while, we went through some tough times. It all happened when our youngest one, Isabella was born. Not sure if Isabella being just born, was one of the reasons for what happened or not. Maybe the thought that with a little baby of our own would leave us with less time and love  for her, would scare her. I never understood, but, I missed my baby girl's High School Graduation..It feels like I skipped a chapter in the book of our life... A very important chapter...
I never knew how it was like to be a teenager in the USA. During my Teenager years, I only worked, went to church, to school only. I guess I skipped all those teenager years that “normal” people go through, so, I had no idea how it was like to be a teenager. It was tough but, I knew I had raised my baby girl right, I knew she was smart and she would be her old self again. All I did was pray that the good Lord would protect and watch over her, I trusted and put all my worries in God hands.  

We get so used to protect our kids from the world outside, we raise them with love and try to keep them away from what we think it is not good for them. Doing that, we forget to prepare them for the reality outside, the peer pressure and I guess they get confused with so much going on. Thank Lord it didn't last long. It felt like an eternity though…

For some reason, we tend to dream with a brilliant future to our kids, we expect them to follow the normal course of life. I was so sure that I had raised my daughter in such a way that she would be prepared for that big world out there, so I never thought she could get confused along the way.

Thank Lord, who kept me sane, everything is back to normal again. My baby girl, finally realized what career she wants to follow, nowadays she works full time at the bank, part time as a waitress and she has been going to college. I feel like she found her way, she is not confused anymore, she knows exactly what she wants  and I pray that Lord keeps her always like this. I missed my little girl so much...

I love my kids more than anything in this world and would give my life to any of them in a heartbeat. I have 3 beautiful kids, three different personalities, two were born from my heart, were chosen and one that I gave birth. I love the three of them EXACTLY the same way, regardless the came out of my tummy or not.

Today It's my daughter’s birthday, I want to say, Happy Birthday Tamy! It's your special day... I thank Lord Lord for the day you were born. Thank you so much for letting be your mommy,for loving me no matter what. All of us, your family, are so proud of you and LOVE you with all our hearts. God bless and be with you ALWAYS Baby girl!

Love,

Mom

The book definitely was not on the table today... LOL

Oh what a day... No matter what, thank you so Much dear Lord for the gift of life. For being able to experience one more day and learn something new. Sometimes it sucks the way I learn but, all I can say is, "the book was not on the table today" LOL  The book is on the table is the first sentence we learn in English there in Brazil. Where is the book? The book is ON the table! Prepositions, what would we do without them? LOL Anyways, my friends and I came up with this saying, when we don't really want to talk about something close to people we look at each other and say "The book is one the table, right? Then,  we know what that mean... It's crazy I know, but its's a code. Yep, I am still learning some English LOL

Today one of my machines jumped when I was sewing a big design and I didn't notice until later. I don't understand MELCO technicians. Well, I kind understand, they are like machines's doctors and when we don't know what the heck is wrong with them I guess we have to keep on trying new tests. I just think that by now, Melco should know every illness that their machine may come up with.

One say it might be the Z motor, yep (blame on Zee) the other says, X motor and the other says it's the motherboard. I, personally think this machine crippled. Poor thing must be going through the change in life. All I know, I wont trust that baby machine no more. Only one color design to be sewn on that one. I am starting to think that embroidery machine are just like cars. When you finish paying them off, it's time to buy a new one. LOL Go figure...

Ok, no more complaints for now LOL 

One more First Birthday Dress left to Florida today... Happy Birthday little Lily :)) How cute she must be :))) I already know she will look adorable on that little green dress :))) God bless her and her family of course :)))

Have a fine evening you all and I am looking forward to a wonderful brand new day tomorrow :))))))

God Bless

Zee (not the motor) LOL

Truth or dare with Isabella

- Mommy lets play Truth or dare?

- Sure Isabella, you start.

- Truth or dare mommy?

- Truth. I said

- hmmm... When and who was the first man you kissed?

 I never expected my 7 years old daughter to ask me such a question... What is wrong with my little baby ? She grew up so fast....

- Oh well... oh well... My first kiss was with Tammy's daddy and  when  we started dating...

-Yuk!!! How can you kiss Tammy's daddy?? By the way Tamy's daddy is my ex husband, I got married when I was 17 years old so, I got married to my first boyfriend ! LOL What was I thinking??? duh!!! LOL

- Well... well... I don't know, I guess I loved him, that is why we kissed.

- Well you don't have to love someone to kiss him. I have kissed John at school! Said Isabella

Oh my goodness, I wasn't prepared for that kind of conversation...

- How can you kiss John? and you don't love him??? How come? I replied

- Well mommy, Catie dared me to kiss him, so I did. But it was a very fast kiss!

- Well Isabella lets play Littlest pet shop now. I think that I like it better!!!

-OK mommy...

She kissed John because Catie dared her... I really didn't know what to say.. If I got mad, she would start hiding stuff from me. I guess it is just one of those things that we play along?

Well, just a little advise from me... Don't ever play Truth or Dare with your little one, you might get surprised... Just saying.... LOL

Today has been a better day at Embroidea with the new helper. I stopped working earlier and I am ready to rest.

Shipped a little First dress to Canada and I love it !!! I cant wait for the Customer to get it.. Oh I love my work so much :))))))))))

Have a nice evening you all and God Bless

Just me