Thursday, December 30, 2010

2011 and Beyond

As I sit here closing my eyes trying to summarize this year, what I see is, stress, anxiety and sadness. I was challenged in many ways that I never thought were possible. I was faced with many tough decisions. I was also faced with losing a parent. I am also facing forgiving someone who has hurt me.

I lived with stress and anxiety this entire year. I was faced early on whether or not I should quit my job due to not having anyone to take care of our daughters. Sooner or later, we know this may need to happen and I am prepared to do so, and I'm really looking forward to it. We may not enjoy all the "extra" stuff but I know deep in my heart that I will be happier and so will my daughters and husband. Like my sister Medit told me, "you have worked too hard for too long not to enjoy your daughters. Just do it and you will never regret it." I know she's right and I also know that God will take care of us. In the meantime, I am learning and practicing every day to turn over all my anxiety and stress to him. It is a daily struggle but one that I must conquer each and every day.

I have also lived with sadness. I have questioned God many times why He took my father away. I have questioned Him why he didn't allow me another chance with my father. Could another chance between us may have made a difference in our relationship? Would it made it worse? I don't know. I am, I guess, somewhat bitter and angry about it. There are times that I am at peace with God's decision but other times, I still get angry at him. God, is my Father after all and I have been told it  is OK to question. I need keep greiving and I'm not doing a good job about it. I found a grief support group at my church. I just need to make the effort to join and hopefully find the healing, peace and understanding that I am seeking.

Forgive and forget OR forgive and not forget?

One thing I learned going through Retrouvaille and therapy sessions is that it is hard for people to forget past hurts. However, we should strive to forgive but forgetting the offense is not easy, in fact, it is impossible to forget. There are scars that are left behind that remind you of the pain that put it there. In a way, is good not to forget so that the offense one caused will not be repeated, hopefully, again.

Asking for forgiveness with no resolution builds bitterness. Forgiving with a solution towards reconcilation helps the healing process.

I want to express that it is not OK  to ask for forgiveness via E-mail. It is not OK to sweep it under the rug and forget about it. It is not OK to stump once faith or religion only because is different than yours. Conflict is never fun. Asking for forgiveness face to face can be a humbling experience but asking for forgiveness without a reconciliation plan or solution does not work, it only builds more separation. I am not in any form or shape looking forward to resolve this conflict because it places me back in that dark time and place, but I know that if it ever happens it will not be pretty either.Alright, I vented on this one. But I had to say it.

The turn of another year brings suprises and challenges. I am learning everyday to become better than yesterday.

Happy New years and God Bless.

Sandra Seaman

5 Things About Me Today

1. I got two more shots for my Plantar Fasciitis! I'm having to wear a splint on my left foot when I sleep. Marvelous, isn't!? I want to be pain free, I want to be able to run to loose the weight and be able to run pain free with my daughters. I'm also going to a Chiropractor to heal my sciatic pain. It is getting better but I'm not there yet. All in due time.







2. Sofia potty training is going great! She's had two dry nights so far and she's gotten up in the middle of the night to announce that she needs to go! This is great! We had to unplug number 2 from her today; she had gone 4 days w/out relief and we decided to take matters into our parental hands and with a lot of anxiousness on my part, Sofia got relief. It didn't come down easy; she fought it but couldn't hold it in. Sofia struggled but she was freed. She was able to do it on her own after lunch so we'll see if the trend continues. This phase is stressful but I'm loving not changing diapers!

3. We are taking the Christmas tree down today and lights around the house. Time moves way too fast!

4. I cut my hair yesterday (short bob.) Short hair works for me right now with my busy mornings. No longer do I spend 45 minutes on my hair alone. Those were the days!

5. For New Years, John and I have decided to be home. Cook a special dinner, Say a prayer, open a bottle of wine, later on opened a bottle of champagne and watch the ball drop in Times Square then say a another prayer!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas Cards 2010


Beautiful Girls!! From the Standokes!

From my friend and mentor Lisa! Her beautiful daughter McKenzie!


From Auntie Molly! 

From my the Dunn Family. On the first clip of this card there is supposed to be stockings but when we recieved the card, the envelope was torn along with the decorations on this card. I blame the Government for this one. 

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

The Seaman Girls

Sofia posing with Snowman.

Sofia: hey! get out the way, Raquel! You are blocking my picture! 

Raquel: "what? Oh, sorry. Click away." 

Sofia: "ok, mom! Click away!" 

At the IHOP! 


They stayed in this position for 30 minutes coloring. Raquel does whatever Sofia wants to do...sometimes. 

Raquel: I'm looking for the Elephant hat, mami. Have you seen it!? 

Again, Raquel opens a book whenever Sofia opens a book. 

Acting silly with Daddy. 

I'm a princess! 

What are looking at, willis? 

Thank you so much, Pati, for Sofia's and Raquel's stockings!! We love them! 

Today, December 21st, we had 80 degree weather. 

Raquel's face was red from the heat!  

Looking at our Christmas lights! 

This is a Thanksgiving picture! 

Monday, December 20, 2010

Potty Training Day 2

Wet underwear: 1

Sofia is loving it!! And I'm loving it too! She's got all her undies in a gift bag and she takes it everywhere including to sleep. She's in love with her underwear and I'm in love that I don't have to change that many diapers!

Sofia didn't want to nap this afternoon and spent an hour and a half on her potty. She still struggling with number 2. I'm praying it will come down soon! Praying for poop, who would have thought!

-Sandra.

Potty Training Day 1

Wet Underwear Count, Day One: 5


Day one of Potty Training part two. This past summer, I failed at predicting whether or not she was ready and it was awful. This time, Sofia wanted to but I didn't so, I decided to go for it and today, our first day going cold turkey, I would say it was a success. Sofia didn't freak out, didn't cry out of fear, she didn't hold number one and I didn't pull my hair!

Sofia is loving her underwear. She loves them and can't wait to wear them all, in fact, she would wear them all at once if she could!

By the end of day, Sofia was successful at telling me she needed to go and that was awesome, at one point, she didn't want to get off the potty!

By the end of this week, I pray that she's also successful at doing number two!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Movies We Watch

Movie: Crazy Heart

Every time we watch a movie with Country music, I ask myself why I don't listen to Country music?
I'm going to buy the soudtrack for this movie. My feet were tapping and I liked it!

This movie is about a has-been alcoholic country singer who sings in bingo halls instead of the big venues. He meets a journalist and they both fall in love until his alcoholism gets him in trouble.

One day he wakes up and says "I want to be sober" but it comes a little bit too late. The ending was bittersweet. John asked me if alcoholics drink to be happy. I told him, alcoholics drink to escape. To escape problems and relationships and many times they are in denial they are alcoholics until it is too late.

This is an amazing movie! Not for kids at all! We give it 4 1/2 stars!




Movie: Night at the Museum 2

BORING! We only laughed at one joke! Everything else was lame, lame, lame!! What a waste. The first one was way better. 

Larry Daley, returns as a museum security to rescue his exhibit friends and realizes that becoming a security guard again is way better than to own your own successful business and sells it. RIGHT! 


One star!!!  

Christmas Cards 2010


My BFF Pati!

From Judy Cash! 

From my beautiful sister Medit! love you!

From my Aunite Connie! God bless you! 

 from Judy Yi. Always graceful and beautiful!

From the Deaton Family! cute boys! 

Sofia's First Hair Cut

I took Sofia for her first hair cut to my hairdresser, Manolo. I informed Sofia she was going to see Manolo for about two weeks to get her mentally and emotionally ready so she wouldn't freak out! It worked!



This is Manolo, my hairdresser! He kept talking to her, telling her what to do and she followed instructions very well.



Here's Manolo styling her hair! I thought for some odd reason her curls were going to go bye-bye but they didn't! He cut them off and they were back!! Silly me.



Sofia liked Manolo after making her feel very special! I felt very special too, because Sofia's haircut was free! yippee!


Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Little Saints Christmas Program

Sofia's school's Christmas program was today! Sofia and her class sat at the steps and sang songs! Sofia, unfortunately, was not in the greatest mood today.

This video is long but Sofia is sitting bottom step, center right. She's the one wearing the pink shirt! I want a real video camera for Christmas!! I can't zoom with this picture camera!

More Christmas Cards 2010

From my sister Mayra! A beautiful lady with a beautiful heart and a great sense of humor!


This one is from Uncle James and Auntie Silvia! 

Grandpa Williams! Thanks for the gift! It will be going towards Sofia's and Raquel's College Fund! 

Digitally Dangerous

Rewiring Our Minds
By: Chuck Colson

Before you run out and buy yet another electronic device for your kids this Christmas.

Vishal is a bright high school senior who hopes to study filmmaking in college. There’s just one problem: Vishal is rewiring his brain in such a way that he may never enjoy the career he dreams of.

As Matt Richtel reports in the New York Times, like many teens today, Vishal spends a big chunk of his day on his computer--on Facebook, playing video games, creating digital films, or sending text messages to friends.

Richtel writes that the digital world—cell phones and computers—may actually be changing how developing brains work. He notes that many kids do homework at the same time they’re texting friends. Others talk on the phone while texting other friends at the same time. And they all spend many hours every week surfing the Internet.

This kind of activity, according to Richtel, means that the brains of kids like Vishal “can become more easily habituated than adult brains to constantly switching tasks—and less able to sustain attention.”

In effect, they develop a need for stimulation. That may be why Vishal’s grades are not that great, and why he never got around to finishing the one novel he was supposed to read over the summer for school. As he told the Times, on YouTube, “you can get a whole story in six minutes. A book takes so long. I prefer the immediate gratification.”

Well, Vishal’s right about that. That’s precisely, of course, the problem. Too much time online also affects the ability of teens to recall their homework—assuming they managed to get it done in the first place. Researchers in Germany found that kids who play video games not only damage their ability to sleep well, they also affect their capacity to recall vocabulary words. One of the researchers, Markus Dworak, told the Times that he wasn’t sure if the problem was the disrupted sleep or “because the intensity of the game experience overrode the brain’s recording of the vocabulary” words. Whatever the cause, the result is distracted kids, low grades and unimpressed college admissions staffs.

This is clearly something to be alarmed at. But Christian parents have additional reasons to be concerned. Digital distractions may make it harder to focus on faith.

Not long ago I talked about a terrific new book titled The Anatomy of the Soul, by Christian psychiatrist Curt Thompson. Dr. Thompson describes how the classic spiritual disciplines of prayer, meditation, fasting, confession, and study all foster the development of our minds; they help us to encounter God, relate to others, and increase our attentiveness.

Clearly, spending too much time in the digital world, which hurts our ability to focus, is going to make it hard to engage in spiritual disciplines, which require concentration. And our minds will not develop as God intended them to.

We need to share this information with the people in our lives who are seemingly addicted to text messaging, video games, social networking, and the like. Young people need to know that excessive time online may harm, not only their ability to perform academically, but also their capacity to worship the Lord and interact with His people.

And we all need to remember that we were born wired to connect—not with machines, but with a holy God.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Texting

I'm going to say it because, I have been bothered by it and because this is my blog, I have the freedom to say what's on my mind and at times even vent. This time, I'm speaking about my disdain of texting.

While in meetings all last week in Kansas City, there was this person who wouldn't let go of the phone and was texting and chatting back and forth. Because this person sat by me it was very distracting and annoying at times. I wouldn have said something but it wasn't going to come out nice.

I often watch kids/teenagers even adults texting while engaging in conversation and/or even walking without looking up to see where they are going.

I love it when someone calls me instead of texting me a question or have a conversation! I'm not picking on anyone, but I truly do not have the patience and/or time to text. I love hearing your voice! That's pretty much what I feel. Texting doesn't allow me to hear your happiness, sadness, frustrations, anger, etc.

I'm never bother to answer the phone; yes, I'm may be busy with the girls and/or John but if I don't answer my phone, I will call you back!

There is even a page in facebook with people like me who hate texting! I'm so glad, I'm not the only one feeling this way! John feels the same way I do about texting which is great!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Hate-Texting/190998005172

All in all, I still love everyone who loves to text but I just want to let you all know that, if you start having a conversation through text, I will not text back. I will dial your number and have a conversation with you. I love typing but I hate texting. I am really fast at typing but texting, not really and that's where my patience runs low.

love.

-sandra.

Christmas Cards 2010

I love this time of year when we recieve cards! Christmas Cards!

From the Maloney Family. Thank you!!

By the way, Sofia was able to name everyone on this card. She's good!

Friday, December 3, 2010

Sofia and Raquel

I love it when they sit together like this. They are growing too fast and I don't like it.

I have noticed Raquel reacting odd with Sofia's hugs. But I think is cute when Sofia hugs on her.

They love these stools my mom bought them. 

Here's Raquel giving the baby her bottle. I was just relieved Raquel did not remember what a bottle is for! It has been a month since I stopped Raquel's bottle. 

Raquel sitting on her stool. She's so cute!


Sofia has been asking for my mom all day today. Saludes mami!