The mystery solved (hopefully?)

I was asked to write a letter to my oldest daughter Brianna a couple of weeks ago. My ex wanted me to write to her in preparation for a retreat she attended. She is in middle school and even though I eventually would split from Valerie (her mom) I still saw Brianna every other weekend. I would go on to marry a girl with a name that had the same letter in the alphabet "V" ( Something about me and women whose name start with the letter V!) Veronica and I have three daughters but that is a story in itself. I have to refer you to some of my early blog posts!

I avoided writing about this topic for a while. I have always wanted to write about my feelings about my oldest daughter. I know the circumstances of my breakup with Valerie (her mom) were a little out of the ordinary. This "bad breakup" kept my defenses up for a long time. It was not only until recently that I was able to let my guard down on this topic and express my true feelings for Brianna in my letter. In my letter to Brianna I expressed how much of a beautiful girl she is and how much she looks like me. I also told her how my work schedule interfered with me getting to spend more time with her.  I also told her that I loved her very much and that I hoped that my schedule in the future would allow us to spend more time together.

At the retreat the priest and Brianna read my letter together. When Brianna came home from the retreat she told my ex that I am still a bit of a mystery to her. As mentioned earlier I have spent time with Brianna ever since she was a baby. She comes over on weekends and spends Saturdays and Sundays with us. I work almost every Saturday so it is hard for me to spend a lot of time with her. On Sundays when I am home my two little daughters take up a majority of my time and demand attention. But Brianna I promise that I will be spending more one on one time with you and hopefully together we can unlock the mystery of your daddy as soon as possible..

NBA Playoffs : Go Spurs Go !

It's playoff time. Good luck to the silver and black !

Balancing Twitter and Facebook with family life

I read an article today about Twittering  and Facebooking  and the effects it is having on family life. I know that after a hard day at work parents sit at their home computer or on their phone and just Twitter and Facebook away. It is easy to get caught up and Twitter  about a interesting article or chat on Facebook  with a friend or coworker.

I know a lot of parents are guilty of  spending too much time on social media. After a stressful day at work I sometimes find myself wanting to get on Facebook  or Twitter  and see what is going on with the people I follow or I have friended. How does this affect children who long for their parent's affection? How many hours have been lost on Facebook or Twitter when these hours can be spent with their children? To find out if you are addicted to Social Media ask yourself these questions.

1. Do you spend more time on Social Media than your family?
2. Do you have more friends on Facebook or Twitter than in real life?
3. Do you hear Direct Message pings when you lay down to bed or use the blow dryer and run to your computer to answer?
4. Do you put an "@" symbol in front of someone's name when directing a message to them in emails?
5. You panic when your favorite Social Media site goes down.
6. You give other guys/girls your social network URL instead of your phone #.
7. You lie about the amount of time you spend on Social Media.
8. Have you ever pondered starting a social network for people that have a problematic addiction to   social networking?
9. Do you get excited when you have more friends on a social network than you did last week despite the fact that you'll probably never talk to them?
10. You check your social network email first thing in the morning, at lunch, and before bedtime without fail?
11. Upon meeting people in a real-life social situation you ask them if they are on your favorite social network.
12. You go to Digg , Reddit,  Yahoo ! Buzz or another social news site for your news as opposed to CNN , WSJ , NYT or other traditional news sites.
13. You belong to more Social Media sites than extracurricular organizations.

I usually "Tweet" or "Facebook" after the kids are asleep. I have some alone time for about an hour when my wife is putting the kids to sleep. That is the only time I get into social media. I might also do a blog post during this alone time. Hopefully parents across the U.S will put away the phone or log off the home computer and give your kids the attention they deserve.

How do you balance social media and family time?

Fiesta San Antonio!

Fiesta week in San Antonio is upon us. It is that time again, San Antonio's celebration occurs every April. There are so many events planned this year and I promise to provide a schedule for some of the favorite events. But first, my thoughts on Fiesta San Antonio . I have been attending Fiesta week ever since I was a boy. I have many great memories of the Battle of Flowers parade, the Fiesta Flambeau parade,St. Mary's University Oyster bake and the King William Fair. I will always remember the sounds, the sights, the smells of Fiesta. There are crowds galore. There is plenty of pushing, spilling and spending. (I would wear old clothes and tennis shoes for sure!) And the other thing, Fiesta week always falls on my birthday!

Fiesta Favorites

A Night in Old San Antonio (NIOSA)
Battle of Flowers Parade
Fiesta Carnival
Fiesta Flambeau Parade
Fiesta Oyster Bake
Fiesta Fantasias at Market Square
Texas Cavaliers River Parade

A Night in Old San Antonio (NIOSA)

April 20, 5:30pm-10:30pm
April 21, 5:30pm-10:30pm
April 22, 5:30pm-10:30pm
April 23, 5:30pm-10:30pm
La Villita

Battle of Flowers Parade
April 23, 12:45pm-4:00pm
Parade Route

Fiesta Carnival
April 14, 5:00pm-11:00pm
April 15, 6:00pm-10:00pm
April 16, 6:00pm-12:00am
April 17, 11:00am-12:00am
April 18, 12:00pm-11:00pm
April 19, 6:00pm-11:00pm
April 19, 6:00pm-11:00pm
April 20, 6:00pm-11:00pm
April 21, 5:00pm-11:00pm
April 22, 5:00pm-11:00pm
April 23, 12:00pm-12:00am
April 24, 11:00am-12:00am
April 25, 12:00pm-11:00pm
Alamodome Parking Lot C
100 Montana

Fiesta Flambeau Parade
April 24, 7:45pm-11:00pm
Parade Route

Fiesta Oyster Bake
April 16, 5:00pm-11:00pm
April 17, 11:00am-11:00pm
St. Mary's University Campus
One Camino Santa Maria

Fiestas Fantasias at Market Square
April 16, 10:00am-12:00am
April 17, 10:00am-12:00am
April 18, 10:00am-12:00am
April 19, 10:00am-12:00am
April 20, 10:00am-12:00am
April 21, 10:00am-12:00am
April 22, 10:00am-12:00am
April 23, 10:00am-12:00am
April 24, 10:00am-12:00am
April 25, 10:00am-12:00am
Market Square 514 West Commerce St

Texas Cavaliers River Parade
April 19, 7:30pm-9:30pm
San Antonio River Walk

Be Safe!!!!

Work life balance

I have been wondering if there is such a thing as a work life balance. I know in today's world it is very tough to have such a balance. A lot of companies talk about how their companies strive for the perfect work life balance for it's employees and actually are sincere about it. In the end a lot of employees are still  trying to chase the perfect work life scenario. According to the former head of General Electric Jack Welch   in a Wall Street Journal  article from July 2009, ""There's no such thing as work-life balance," Mr. Welch told the Society for Human Resource Management's  annual conference in New Orleans  on June 28. "There are work-life choices, and you make them, and they have consequences." He also went on to say " you could be passed over for promotions if you are not there in the clutch."

I can justify working long hours and Saturday. The only way I can justify this is that I am doing it for my family. When I look around at the things I have, none of this would be possible without a good paying job which takes a lot of commitment and dedication. I know things around me are materialistic and that is not what matters to me. A healthy family is all that matters to me.

According to Web MD  there are 5 tips for a better work life balance :

1. Figure out what really matters in your life -The important point here is to figure out what you want your priorities to be, not what you think they should be.


2. Drop unnecessary activities -By making a concrete list of what really matters to you, you may discover you're devoting too much time to activities that aren't a priority, and you can adjust your schedule accordingly.
 
3. Protect your private time -You would probably think twice before skipping out on work, a parent-teacher conference, or a doctor's appointment. Your private time deserves the same respect.
 
4. Accept help to balance your life-Allow yourself to rely on your partner, family members, or friends -- anyone who can watch the kids or run an errand while you focus on other top priorities.
 
5. Plan fun and relaxation- Fun and relaxation are an essential part of living a well-balanced life
 


 
Do you have a good work life balance?

Glee gone wild!!!!!

Check out the April cover of Rolling Stone Magazine. Glee is back . New episodes return April 13th.
There are a lot of questions left unanswered from last season. It is a show that my family can sit down and watch (and sing to). I promised my daughters I would do a post on my blog about Glee. Some questions.....

1. Will and Sue. Can they co-exist?
2. Puck and Finn. Can they be best friends again?
3. Can New Directions defeat Vocal Adrenaline?
4. What about Quinn and her pregnancy. Has she decided to keep the baby?
5. What about the romance between Rachel and Finn?
6. What about Will and his wife separating?

There is supposed to be some great music this season and other surprises. I hear Vocal Adrenaline has beefed itself up too. Watch out New Directions!!!!! Anyway, here is the cover. Enjoy.