Girl Power: Raising Her With Confidence ♥ Poder de Mujer: Creando a mi Niña Segura de Si Misma

I have a four year old.  She's beautiful, she's smart, she's daring, silly, and full of energy. She's sensitive and stubborn.  Loving and caring.  She's confident, but shy at times. She is this and so much more.  She's my four year old and my responsibility.  

Tengo una pequeña de cuatro añitos.  Es inteligente, valiente, chistosa,  y llena de energía.  También es sensible y necia.  Amorosa y cariñosa.  Es segura de si misma, pero de ves en cuando tímida.  Es esto y mucho mas.  Es mi pequeña de cuatro añitos y mi responsabilidad.

It is up to me to show her that:

De mi depende enseñarle:

She can be a fairy if is she wants to...

 Que puede ser un hada si quiere...

Or a super hero, why not?

También un super héroe, ¿Por que no?

She can be anything she wants to, as long as she is happy. As happy as can be.

Puede ser lo que ella desee, siempre y cuando sea feliz.  Feliz como lombriz.

But mainly what I want is for her to see...

Pero lo que yo mas quiero es que ella vea...

That being herself is the best thing she can ever be.  To love herself and respect herself.  To see that what counts is not what you see, but what's inside that shines through.  To remember that being beautiful on the outside is not as important as being beautiful on the inside. 

Que ser ella misma es lo mejor que puede ser.  Que se ame y se respete a si misma.  Que vea que lo que cuenta no es lo que vemos por fuera, si no lo que brilla por dentro.  Y que recuerde que ser bella por fuera no es tan importante, como ser bella por dentro. 

And no matter how old she gets...

Y no importa que tan grande este...

 

My baby she'll always be.  

Mi bebe siempre va a ser.

And no matter what path she chooses to take, what role she chooses to play, what life she chooses to live, I will always always be there for her and love her no matter what. 

Y no importa que camino escoja, que rol escoja actuar, que vida escoja vivir, yo siempre siempre estaré ahí para ella y siempre la amare.  

It is up to me as her mother, her role model, her friend, to teach her all this and more.  To listen, to advice, but most importantly to be an example.  So she can grow up to be the confident, daring and loving girl she now is.

De mi depende como madre, ser su modelo principal, su amiga.  De enseñarle todo esto y mucho mas.  De escucharla, aconsejarla, pero mas que nada de ser un ejemplo para ella.  Para que así ella llegue a ser una mujer segura, cariñosa y amorosa, tal y como lo es ahorita de niña.

What about you? What are you doing to raise your little girl to be confident and strong? 

¿Que tal tu? ¿Que estas haciendo para crear a una hija segura de si misma?    

Did you know that Dove believes beauty should be a source of confidence, not anxiety?  They are committed to inspiring all women and girls to reach their full potential.

¿Sabias tu que Dove cree en un mundo en el que la belleza debe ser una fuente de seguridad y confianza, no de ansiedad?  Dove se compromete a inspirar a todas las mujeres y niñas a que logren todo su potencial.

If you would like to start the conversation you can follow #DoveIspired on Twitter, Vive Mejor on Facebook and/or ViveMejor.com.

Si te gustas empezar la conversación puedes seguir #DoveIspired en Twitter, Vive Mejor en Facebook y/o ViveMejor.Com.

This post is compensated and in collaboration with Dove and Latina Bloggers Connect. 

Este post fue compensado en colaboración con Dove y Latina Bloggers Connect.

Time for Me, Time for Them

Time for me...

Time for them...

It's a balancing game this motherhood thing.  It is.  Though many times the scale leans towards them, I need to take moments, some smaller than others, but moments non the less, for me.  Moments to breath, moments to recollect my thoughts, moments to find peace, moments to spend with friends. 

This weekend I did just that.  Spent a beautiful cool evening with mama friends chatting, laughing and enjoying the view at a local restaurant overlooking the river.  Time for me. 

The next day my chiquitos and I took a nature walk with friends, through one of our favorite parks. Time for them.  

I love my chiquitos with all my heart, but to be a better mother to them, I need to find that balance.

What about you?  What do you do to keep a balance?

Listening to Her

(First photo taken my Mr. Sabor a Cajeta)

Of late my life has been in a bit of a haze and my mind preoccupied with just too many thoughts.  When life gets this way, I tend to unwillingly and unconsciously give up on some things and I realize I just have to let go to find some balance.  But when letting go means my  four year old daughter, well, then I am in big trouble. 

You see, she's a spunky little one, a kind hearted soul, a dare devil, and a stubborn little one as well and boy can she have a temper (kind of like her mama), but the truth is it is not often we see that temper, because for the most part she's an easy going child.  

So when the tempers and whinnying started to increase I knew something was wrong.  It took me a while thought to figure this out, with my life being in a haze and all, but after talking over the phone with my dear mami yesterday and explaining (or more like complaining) about my spunky little one's behavior...I realized what I had known all along.

You see, I believe that all children act upon what is going on in their surrounding.  I believe that if we truly stop to listen we can hear loud and clear what they are not telling us.  Especially when a child is a well behaved one.  I also believe that as a parent it is the quality not the quantity of time we spend with our children that is important.  For example, if a parent works all day and can only spend a few hours a day with his child, but truly is present during those few hours, than that is giving a child as much as a parent that may spend all day with said child.  Same goes for the opposite.  If a parent spends all day with his child, but isn't truly present in mind and soul, then that child might as well be alone. 

That is what I heard loud and clear the last few times she misbehaved.  I have been here with her day after day (aside from the few hours a week I leave to work), but I haven't truly be giving her the attention she very well deserves.  I have not been fully present. 

Yesterday after work (and after talking to my mami) I decided to do just that.   I stopped all and spend a full uninterrupted hour with my spunky girl.  I made a mental point to put all worries and to do lists aside and to focus on her and what she wanted to do.  So we headed out doors, rocked on the hammock, talked and talked, played on the swing set, and explored our back yard.  She and I.  Fully present.  Fully enjoying myself. 

It is what she needed, but truth be told, it is also what I needed.

Thank you chiquita for reminding me to stop and listen and to take in all the beautiful world around us through your eyes.  I promise to take the time every day.  You deserve that much and more.

Te quiero mucho!

friday favorita: dance

Where I share with you photos new and old.  Photos that inspire me, photos that make me smile or cry, photos that bring out memories, photos that I LOVE!
 
Donde comparto contigo mis fotos favoritas nuevas y viejitas.  Fotografías que me inspiran, me hacen reír o llorar, fotografías que me traen recuerdos, fotos que ¡ME ENCANTAN!

Dance

If you would like to share some of your favorite photos with me and everyone else to see, you can join my Flickr group FRIDAY FAVORITAS, post your favorite photo on your blog or on your Facebook page and link it to this blog.  I would love to see what you love.

Si tu tambien quieres compartir tus fotos favoritas conmigo y los demás, puedes ser parte de mi grupo Flickr FRIDAY FAVORITAS, compartirlas en tu blog o pagina de Facebook y hacerlas link a este blog.  Me encantaría ver tus fotos.

 

This weekend take his/her hand and dance away.

 

 

time sure flies

Where has my baby gone?  First kindergarten, now his first tooth is loose! He is growing up way too fast and I mean WAY TOO FAST!  I want time to slow down, I want to savor every bit of his childhood.   I'm scared that one day he no longer will want to bathe me with hugs and kisses!  My baby boy is growing, growing, I tell ya! 

I know, I'm a bit melodramatic, but...the moment he came into my room Saturday morning and the first words out of his mouth were, "Mami, my tooth is loose!"  I just wanted to sink back into my bed and make time stop! I hugged him of course and cheered him on and told him all those wonderful things a  mami tells his excited child loosing his first tooth, but then as the day went on and I would catch glimpses of him playing with his newly loose tooth, I would travel back in time... 

To the day I found out I was pregnant!  When I heard his first cry.  When  the doctor announced, "He's a boy!"  Oh,  back to when I first held that tiny little beautiful being in my arms. So warm, so frail, so, mine.

He is no longer that tiny fragile being.  No.  He sure isn't.  He is strong and smart, and the sweetest little boy (or shall I say big boy) you'll ever meet.   And very much independent.  Little by little he needs me less and less.

And all of these thoughts ran through my mind, just because he announced his tooth was loose.

He is growing up that little boy of mine.  He is indeed.