The Rising Costs of Toothfairy Money

The first thing Bella did when she woke up this morning was to reach under her pillow for the reward the toothfairy leaves in exchange for her money. I know some parents may think that now that my daughter is about to be seven years old, it's time to start telling them the truth about Santa Clause, The Easter Bunny and the Toothfairy. But I don't care what anyone says.....I'm only going to see my little girl at this age once and if the fantasy of Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny and the Toothfairy still exist in her little mind then so be it. I enjoy every moment of watching her excitment as Christmas and Easter Day draws nearer and her eagerness to go to bed an hour earlier so the toothfairy and Santa Clause can come sooner. It's very entertaining and fun to watch and its' moments like these that I wish could last forever. Its the moments like these that make me forget about all the stress of the day and instead think about how much I have to be so grateful for in my life. Despite the challenges and hardships I have been through and still do at times being a single mom, it's also the most rewarding and I love it.

So when Bella pulled out the $6.00 from under her pillow I expected a big smile and a whole bunch of "oooo's" and "ahhhhs" but instead she sat there wondering why  the toothfairy left $4.00 less then the last time. "Mommy you've got to be kidding me! The toothfairy left me less money then last time!" These were her exact words no joke.  I tried so hard not to laugh at hearing those words come out of a six year old's mouth but it was hard to contain my laughter. This being her fourth tooth she has lost so far she expected a bigger compensation then last time. Mind you I had no idea until that very day that the toothfairy had brought her $10.00 for her last tooth as her grandpa was the one who left the money under her pillow while she slept in exchange for the tooth. As soon as she woke up she put it right into her piggy bank just like I had taught her to do from the very first tooth so I had no idea it was that much. The two before that I had left a $5 bill.

Living in the Past & How it Can Destroy You

It has only been 24 hours since I turned 28 years old. Wow...can't believe that in two years I'm going to hit the big "30". When I think about how many years have gone by that I've struggled with finding my place in life, my life purpose & own self-worth, I can't help to think about the things that I could have done differently  to avoid wasting so much time living in misery with my own self and believing that the life I was currently living was it for me. That I was meant to live my life struggling financially and alone because of my fear of letting a man into my life again after going through what I went through in previous relationships. I felt scarred beyond repair and actually believed that no amount of therapy or prayer would be able to turn things around for me. The funny thing is that even during those dark moments in my life, I still believed in miracles and good things happening to good people. But I just didn't believe anything good could happen to me because of what my past had been. I can't help to wish sometimes that "If only I knew then what I know now" things could have been a little different.

Anger & Fustration of a Single Mom

Yesterday was like any other ordinary Sunday. While my parents took Izzy to church, I fit in an hour of cardio running on the treadmill, laundry and cleaning. The air outside was cooler then expected for an April spring day as it seems like at any moment it would rain. I guess I shouldn't be as disappointed since this is the one month of the year where we're supposed to be getting the most rain but I can't help it.....I am. What was even more disappointing was when I got a call from Izzy after mass asking if it was okay to stop by her dad's house on the way home to visit her twin baby brother and sister. They had seen her father's uncle and aunt at church and both said how they were going to head over there after mass to visit with them and that prompted Izzy to want the same. My first thought was, "No definitley not because he hasn't called in months and showing up to his house invited is wrong." But then I tried to put my self in my little girls shoes and imagining how high my own desire would be to have an established relationship with my own brother and sister. At that point I couldn't say "no".

A day in NYC & a Memorable Visit to Ellis Island!

Yesterday was one of the best Sundays' I've had in a very long time thanks to my friend Heather Rodriguez who organized the event. For the past few months I've been so caught up in trying to finish my novel manuscript and working on the development of my single mom reality series that I haven't had anytime to plan any fun filled events with my daughter. Its' so easy to get caught up in our daily lives when we have so much going on and deadlines to meet. But as parents we can never forget what is the most important factor in our lives, which is spending quality one on one time with our children and letting them know how important, precious they are to you and how much they are loved. Children need that attention and affection from all of us. They need to feel they are important above all else because in doing so they'll grow up more confident and responsible.

Bella & Me xoxoxo (4.11.10)

Single Parent Resources Now Available On My Website!!! Check it out!!

Introducing the launch of my Amazon store at my website: http://www.worldofsingleparenthood.com/. The store link can be accessed through the last tab labeled "Single Parent Resources".

It's hard when as a single parent when you have all these questions and concerns and don't have anywhere to turn to for answers. Not everyone has friends or family who have been through what they've been through. If you've read in previous posts, my past consists of alot of emotional pain, challenges, hardships and heartbreak that at one point was leading me down a destructive path. I've come a long way since then and even though I'm still dealing with some of those issues today, I've never felt so good in all my life about where I am currently. For the first time I have hope and dreams I believe are possible for me. I'm proud of myself for how far I've come so far and have no doubt that I'll continue moving forward into the new life I've always wanted with all the happiness, peace, love, wealth, success, great health and abundance I've always wanted and in the past felt I didn't deserve.

One of the best resources that helped me reach this good place in my life are "books". I always loved reading but mainly read fantasy novels and love stories to escape my current reality a lot of times. But after I had my daughter I began reading alot of self-help, spiritual books and single parent books and became amazed at how many resources are available out there. My mom always yells at me because she says I spend too much $$ on books when its money I can be saving. But the truth is....those books helped me transform myself into the person I am today and without them I'm not sure if I'd be where I am right now.

I want to share with all of you the list of books I've read that have helped me get through some of the toughest and lowest points of my life. I've also included titles of a few additional single parent resources that are now available for your convenience. If you have any questions or need advice on what book to pick then feel free to contact me directly @ jessica@worldofsingleparenthood.com.  I'd be more then happy to help in any way that I can.

Thanks again for your support and remember...we're still accepting profiles for casting. Info can be found on website.

Jessica Fernandez
Creator/Writer "The Real World Of Single-Parenthood"

A message to all my Single Parent Supporters! Thank you!

I know first-hand what it's like to feel helpless, alone and misunderstood when it comes to raising a family on your own and having to deal with those stereo-types out there that look down on you for being a single parent. They automatically think that just because your stuck raising a child or children on by yourself that you made poor choices and big mistakes. I hate it even more when they criticize young single parents behind our backs and spread their opinions on how we're never going to do anything with our lives and how our kids will probably be the ones that grow up making their own poor choices: joining street gangs, being a school drop outs, getting pregnant young, etc. But what bugs me the most out of all is when someone tries to criticize a single parents parenting skills or lives when that very same person has never (hopefully will never be) been in our shoes and had to face the challenge of raising a family on your own.

There are millions of single parents out there who reached great success and happiness after years of dealing with the heavy challenges of rasing a family on their own. A lot of those stories are documented all over in books, magazine & newspaper articles, television documentaries, movies based on true events. Even some of today's well known names have faced the same challenge we single parents live now or have come from one parent homes. Our very own president Barack Obama was raised by a single parent. His mother, Ann Dunham was only 19 years old when she had him and who knew back then that this woman would one day be the mother of the first black president of the United States!