Summer Camp for our Special Children
All over the country children are bubbling with excitement, for they know summer break is days away or for some has already started. Many parents are bubbling to; I’m just not sure all of it is excitement as much as a tad bit of stress. For the next 2 months we’re in charge of making an itinerary to keep our children busy and happy for the several hours a day that they were in school.
Summer camps are a great resource for parents. A lot of camps have 8 hour schedules, which allow the children to be somewhere safe where they can interact with other children and learn some cool stuff at the same time. This of course allows for the parents to keep up their work schedule and/or other interests they’re committed to.
The Park Districts in most cities have “Special Recreation” for special needs individuals ranging from the ages of 7- 19. In addition the prices are drastically lower than other camps. However, don’t let that be the determining factor. We know our children better than anyone so definitely choose the camp that’s a good fit for your child. I highly recommend visiting the park with your child prior to signing them up. Good vibes makes for good experiences for both the parent and child.
I look forward to sharing and reading your summer camp stories very soon.
Big Hug
Bernadette
Run Your Race
Life can seem like a rollercoaster; you sometimes find yourself feeling like you’re about to crash but just before you hit the ground, you’re thrust to new heights you haven’t reached before. I used to wonder if I was the only person going through ups and downs… that is, until I started hanging out with other ambitious people. Regardless of what walk of life you come from, the more ambitious you are, the more uncomfortable you become with mediocrity.
I’ve recently learned to become my own cheerleader. I’m always on the sidelines cheering for other to have success in whatever they’re working toward. Well now I take the time to cheer for me. I’ve heard that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” well so is success and I’m going to keep running until my race is won!
Single Parenting
Where do I start? There’s so much that goes into being a parent. However, the load triples when you have to be a single parent.
I’ve been a single parent for 11 years as my son’s father died when my son was an infant. On one hand I can say that I am used to being a single parent since I’ve always been one, but on the other hand it is entirely true that I am still uncomfortable with it. Being a parent has so many layers. You’re the provider, comforter, disciplinarian, chef, fashion director, maid, doctor, tutor, speech therapists, friend, personal banker in addition to everything else that is necessary to keep your child happy. And of course I can’t forget to mention that we have to update our skill set as our children grow.
In addition, I’ve had a few detours in life that have altered my career path and completely prolonged my journey to “ultimate success,” however I am optimistic that I’ll eventually get there.
I wrote this piece as a salute to all of the single parents in the world. No matter if you’re in the United States, Africa, Brazil, Italy or the United Kingdom; our journey is still the same. A big hug to all of you.
Does Kanye West’s latest Rant Indicate beef with Jay Z?
Rapper Kanye West is known for not bottling up his feelings, however his latest rant while in Seattle on Wednesday, October 19th during his Saint Pablo tour is stop has big names in the music industry as it indicates a beef with Jay Z. Yes, the two Watch the Throne comrades have rumors swirling of a rift in their friendship. According to Yahoo Music “Kanye blasted Jay for not personally visiting him after wife Kim Kardashian got robbed in Paris, for never setting up a playdate with their kids, and for Tidal politics preventing him from linking up with Drake, an Apple music artist.”
Right now it’s not clear if Kanye is just in his feelings or if he’s really beefing with Jay Z. While at the Reasonable Doubt 20th Anniversary Pop-Up Shop Page Six caught of with Roc-A-Fella Co-Founder Kareem “Biggs” Burke to get his insight on Kanye’s latest rant. According to Page Six, Burke told them “I was shocked to hear what Kanye said on stage.” He went on to say “There was never anything rumbling… so when you hear these things in public, it’s a little shocking.” There has been no official reply from Jay Z regarding these comments. Both Jay and Kanye have made great music together, so hopefully this whole thing is just a big misunderstanding.
Floating Egos
In recent Entertainment News a lot of buzz has been circulating around the floating stage concept. Rapper Kanye West is currently using a floating stage while on his Saint Pablo tour, which kicked off on August 25th in Indianapolis. While performing in Edmonton, AB West begin to accuse performers of ripping off his idea to use a floating stage saying “This is the original, accept no imitation!” He went on to say people ” be copying our s**t bro. Stealin our s**t, stealin our stage.” Many believe that this was a shot at rapper Drake, who is from Canada. Drake used a floating stage during his Summer Sixteen tour. Though there have been no reports of Drake responding to this implied diss of him “stealing” the idea from West, another party has joined this tug of war for the right to claim the floating stage as their idea.
South African rapper, Cassper Nyovest said the floating stage idea originated from him. According to hypebeast.com, Nyovest said during his performance last year at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg he used a floating stage and posted the picture below on his Instagram page.
One thing is for sure, while all of these world renowned rappers are tugging at the right to claim the floating stage concept as their own, we must make note of the intense desire to be the originator of something great. Everyone wants to say they created something great; something that spread like fire throughout the world to make it a better place. With all things considered, this will inevitably inspire up and coming artists to put a stamp on the music business that is one of their own and that can not be duplicated, but only imitated.
