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Archives for 2019

Archives for 2019

12 Weeks of Summer – Week 9

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Hey Mother Nature — who asked you for all this rain? Can we get a few NICE days, please?? Thankfully, there doesn’t seem to be many thunderstorms in the forecast for the upcoming week, so it’s time to get your family out of their rain boots and back into their bathing suits! Here’s our family fun lineup for this week:

Thursday, August 16
Wildlife Superheroes
Have you ever wondered why some of our most popular superheroes are often named after animals? The Dongan Hill Library is getting a visit from a New Canaan Nature Center naturalist who will give participants an up close look at several creatures with an array of “super” qualities that makes each a “wildlife superhero” in its own right. Get more info on this special summer reading celebration here. 

Friday, August 17
Movies Under the Stars
Catch a family-friendly flick in your local park every Friday and Saturday in the summer (and select weekdays as well)! Check our calendar for details on which films are showing where. This weekend’s lineup includes Avengers: Infinity War, The Lion King, The Emoji Movie and Rampage.

Saturday, August 18
FDNY Summer Block Party
FDNY’s annual summer block party combines fire safety with fun. The annual kid-friendly event takes place in every borough and features food, games, music, firefighters and fun. It’s a one-of-a-kind chance to explore the firehouse and EMS station and meet with fire safety education teams. Kids will also get to meet the FDNY Fire and Life Safety Mascots, Hot Dog and Siren. Staten Island’s Block Party will take place on Saturday, August 18 at Engine 153 / Ladder 77 at 74 Broad Street from 11am to 4pm.

Sunday, August 18
Special Trip Sunday – Land of Make Believe
This family-friendly amusement park has a waterpark and rides for all ages. Reasonably priced, with free parking, free picnicking, and short lines, it’s worth the drive (which is just over an hour/hour and a half) into New Jersey. Visit their website for more info.

Monday, August 19
Summer Cleaning
Chances are, your family has been out and about so much this summer that you haven’t had much time for cleaning lately.  Why not make it a team effort? The Intentional Mom offers ten great tips for getting kids motivated to clean here. Happy scrubbing!

Tuesday, August 20
Geocaching
According to geocaching.com, Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor adventure that is happening all the time, all around the world. To play, participants use the Geocaching app and/or a GPS device to navigate to cleverly hidden containers called geocaches. There are millions of geocaches in 190 countries waiting to be discovered—and according to their site, there are 3,325 geocaches around Staten Island. Remember the Great Pokemon Go Craze of 2016? Well, Geocaching is like that — only better and fun for everyone (not just walking zombies with smart phones).

Wednesday, August 21
S.I. Parent Signup Day
We know, we know. We’re a little biased on this one. But can you blame us? We just don’t want you to miss out!
• Sign up for our weekly newsletters and get the scoop on the weekend’s best events, enter the coolest giveaways, get the hottest deals from local businesses, and much more.
• Join our Birthday Club and get ten FREE tokens at Fun Station for your birthday! Plus we’ll give you birthday shout-out in the magazine during your special month.
• New addition to the family? Announce it in the magazine!
• Enter this month’s contest to win the Fenrici Backpack of your choice. Two winners will be selected!

This Is How I am Navigating The Challenges Of Co-parenting

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I had been divorced for a couple years when my former husband called with a surprise. Thankfully, it wasn’t the type of surprise he delivered the night he sat me at the table and told me he had been unfaithful for more than a decade and was leaving me for someone he met in Las Vegas.

No, this surprise had to do with our twelve-year-old son. He said he was taking him to China for a vacation. I got that feeling you get when you walk in on a conversation and everyone is laughing and looking at you like you know what they’re talking about.

China?

How had this come about? I searched my memory for some mention of anything remotely Chinese on my son’s wish list. Had the two of them been to see the First Emperor’s Terracotta Warriors on display at the Field Museum? Or taken a school field trip to Chinatown that I didn’t know about?

The only connection I could come up with was my son’s collection of Pokemon cards, but those are Japanese.

“Um….that would be cool, I guess,” I said, still processing the random nature of his declaration. By the time I gathered my thoughts enough to pose some questions and concerns, he announced that he had bought tickets to travel during a school week and over days that were technically mine on the parenting schedule.

“I can’t change it,” he said. “If I do, I’ll have to pay $1,000 and I know you don’t want that.”

What I didn’t want was to be told what to think or how to feel. An immediate, familiar pressure gripped my chest as I recalled all the activities and decisions that had already occurred behind my back. That he would plan something so extravagant for our son without discussing it with me felt too unfair. I was already struggling with the realities of co-parenting our three children, still getting used to the myriad ways a divorced mom must learn to let go as she is eased out of her job.

After college, I worked as a secretary in London for a few months and learned that, rather than firing people, workers are “made redundant.” It means the same thing, but sounds so much nicer. I’ve been made redundant as a mother—no longer needed or useful in all the ways I once was.

This shows up in small ways:

Tell me about your science project. I don’t want to talk about it. I told dad all about it.

Want to see the new Marvel movie? Sorry, mom, we saw it with dad.

Guess what? I got pizza for dinner! (A chorus of groans.) We had pizza two nights in a row with dad!

And in big ways, like feeling helpless and broken during that stretch when my daughter called, in tears, begging to come home every time she was at her dad’s. Or having no words of comfort when my boys expressed their anger about their dad’s girlfriend moving in.

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All of those impotent moments were triggered again by the thought of my son flying halfway around the world without me. I imagined him sleep-deprived and anxious from the long flight, wandering lost in a crowded street market, even starving, thanks to his finicky diet.

Overprotective? Maybe. But once your trust in someone is so completely shattered, how do you patch enough of it together to cover some areas and not others? I believe my kids’ dad is, as a parent, loving and devoted. But I believed that about him as a husband, too, and I was wrong.

I don’t blame myself for being guarded. I believe that any mother who has ever experienced betrayal would likely volunteer to go through it again rather than see her kids suffer a similar disappointment. At the same time, I have to be careful not to color my kids’ experiences with my disappointments. For me, this meant smiling while I packed a suitcase and waved bon voyage to my baby. It also meant feeling genuine happiness when my baby returned unscathed, unperturbed, and a little more worldly.

Yes, I have learned some wonderful lessons on this road back from betrayal. Here are the big three:

Respond rather than react. One of the best decisions I made, early in the divorce process with the attorneys from kwdllp.com/family-law/, was to treat negotiations as business agreements and relegate them to emails rather than phone calls. That way I can take my time and formulate a clear-headed answer on my timeline. Reacting equals losing power. Responding equals reclaiming power.

Have your facts straight. In the case of the China trip, I assumed that my son couldn’t be taken out of the country without my permission. But when I checked our parenting agreement, I saw that my former husband only needed written permission from me the first twenty-four months following the divorce. Wow. That shocked me, but there it was, in black and white. Gathering the facts gave me time to gather my thoughts enough to get clear about my objections and whether they were ones I had a right to make. As galling as it is to have to follow rules with a rule-breaker who broke your heart, do it anyway.

Come from a “well-fed” place. This is the juicy center, the meat inside the sandwich. Everything revolves around my ability to get quiet, tune into, and take responsibility for my inner world. What are my motivations? Is this about me or my kids? Am I fighting for the sake of fighting? Am I settling an old score? Am I bored, lonely, or craving drama? I need to look at whether I’m feeding myself what I need rather than entering into a “hungry” exchange with my former husband.

Of course life, in its perfection, always provides us with opportunities to practice these skills. I had another chance when our daughter turned thirteen and her dad decided it was her turn for an extravagant trip—to Thailand. This time I was prepared.

My response? Don’t forget your sunscreen.

Oh, and bring me back a buddha.

Tammy Letherer is an author, writing coach, and blogger living in Chicago with her three children. The Buddha at My Table is now available for preorder and will be available for purchase on October 16, 2018 from Amazon, Barnesandnoble.com, Indiebound.org, and Shewritespress.com.

after school dance class
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Fast Facts About the Mid-Island Little League All Stars

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The excitement over the Mid-Island Little League All Stars has been palpable on Staten Island. The Mid-Atlantic champs are taking the field to compete against baseball teams from around the globe and one thing is for sure; they have the support of fans all over New York. Here’s what you need to know about these 12-year-old boys and their impressive journey to the 2018 Little League World Series.

They’ve won their first two games of the series so far, defeating the Midwest 5-2 and the Southwest 2-1. They are now just one game away from the U.S. Finals. We will keep you posted!

They are the ONLY team from within the five boroughs to ever win the Little League World Series (which was back in 1964).

The boys won 15 games IN A ROW to make it to the World Series in Williamsport, PA.

Coaching the team is Joe Calabrese. The team dedicated the season to coach Joe’s brother, who passed away suddenly of a heart attack in 2014. His son, John Jr. now plays on the team.

Pitcher Gregory Bruno threw a perfect game at the Mid-Atlantic championship in early August, which played a major role in helping the team advance to the World Series. Click here for the complete roster and stats on each player. You can also get a live play-by-play of the games in real time at that link. You can watch the games on ESPN (channel 570 for Fios and 300 for Spectrum).

The Little League World Series is comprised of competing teams from eight regions throughout America and eight international regions. Click here to see which states and countries these teams are from.

If they lose two games, the team will be out of the series (nooooo!). Click here to see all World Series game results and schedules.

A Go Fund Me page has been established to help the team fund their journey. You can share it or donate to help the families with costs. If you eat at Applebees in the Staten Island Mall anytime on Wednesday, August 22, 20% of your bill will be donated to the team (present this flyer). And on Tuesday, August 21 from 8:30am to 2:30 pm, 100% of the Commons Cafe profits will be donated to Mid-Island Little League to help fund their trip.

GOOD LUCK TO THE MID-ISLAND LITTLE LEAGUE ALL STARS!!
Congratulate the team below!

 

Photo credit: Mid Island Little League Facebook page

Sign Our Congratulations Card for Champion Mid-Island Little League Team!

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OUR GOAL IS GET AT LEAST 1,000
SIGNATURES TO SHARE WITH THE TEAM

Congratulations to Coach Joe Calabrese, #2 Jayson Hannah, #3 Chris Cancel, #4 Logan Castellano, #5 John Calabrese, #10 Robert Cavalieri, #12 Chris Bedford, #13 Gregory Bruno, #15 Frank Scerra, #17 Thomas Puglisi, #19 Derek Mendez, and #24 Steven Martinez. 

Show your support for Mid-Island Little League! Sign your name and your family members’ names below and let the team know you are rooting for them!

YOU CAN ALSO HELP THE FAMILIES COVER THE COSTS OF THE TRIP TO THE LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES! Please donate to help offset the traveling costs for these wonderful families.

Go to the team’s Go Fund Me page and make any contribution.

Share this with friends!

We will list all family members who agree on SIParent.com’s Congratulations Card. (you can choose to remain anonymous)



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Supporters Step Up at Mid-Island Little League Fundraiser

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Mid-Island Little League families and friends were on deck at COMMONS Café Wednesday in support of the team, where a fundraiser was held to raise money for their trip to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

The impressive Mid-Atlantic champs are currently just two wins away from winning the U.S. finals.

“We don’t say the ‘L’ word so WHEN they win tomorrow, they’ll play Saturday. Then after they win that one, the next day they win the whole thing!” said Michele Vazzo, Mid-Island mom and head of the fundraising committee.

They certainly have every reason to be optimistic. After winning 15 consecutive games this season, the team continued their winning streak with two victories at the start of the series, defeating the Midwest 5-2 and the Southwest 2-1. Their next game is against Hawaii on Wednesday, August 22 at 7:30pm. You can catch it on ESPN.

Christine Vidal, whose son Derek Mendez plays on the team, says the boys are in awe of all the attention but still gracious about it. “They’re busy giving autographs all day. But I just love their attitude. They took to everyone. They’re not cocky. They have a right to be but they’re not. They’re very confident and they’re very humble.”

It’s not every day that people ask your little leaguer for an autograph, but at the end of the day they’re still regular boys, she added. “They still got summer homework to do!” she laughed.

She also mentioned that Derek celebrated his 13th birthday the day the team arrived in Williamsport, on August 13. “That was the best birthday ever for him.”

Jennifer Astarbi, whose son plays for the 11-year-old All Star team, has been making the four-hour trip back and forth to Williamsport with her kids to cheer on the team for every game. She says it’s exhausting but worth it. “You can’t imagine what it’s like in the stands. The excitement is unlike anything you’ve ever seen!”

“It’s even better than a Mets game,” chimed in her daughter Sofia.

“Everyone thought we were the underdogs,” joked her son, Peter. “But not anymore!”

Tommy Kalantzis, who serves on the Mid-Island Board of the Directors and coaches the 8-year-old team, was busy with his wife Natalia selling raffle tickets at the fundraiser. They’re planning to attend Saturday’s game and have been helping all week with fundraising efforts. “We wish them all the best – bring it home, boys!” he exclaimed.

Fundraising has been a high priority for Mid-Island. The team posted a plea on their Facebook page for donations this week, citing that expenses have been a burden for the families. “What you may not realize is that these kids haven’t been home in almost a month between regionals and now the series,” it read. “While Little League does a tremendous job feeding and housing the kids, the parents are put through tremendous expense. Hotels and food are not cheap, especially when room rates seem to suddenly rise as these events happen.”

In the spirit of giving, 100% of the proceeds from the COMMONS Café “Pop-Up Community Day” Wednesday will be given to the boys’ families. According to Kristine Garlisi, Chief of Staff for the Nicotra Group, the whole fundraiser was set up within just a few hours after Ms. Vazzo reached out to her last week. 100% of the profits from the COMMONS café contribute to the funding for Staten Island non-profit organizations and scholarship recipients through the Lois & Richard Nicotra Foundation.

“People who have big hearts want to open them,” Ms. Vazzo said. Anyone who would like to donate can either message the team’s Facebook page or donate to their Go Fund Me page.

And don’t forget to sign Staten Island’s Parent’s Congratulations Card to Mid-Island. Let’s show these boys they have the love and support of over 1,000 neighbors, friends, and family in Staten Island!

By Jeannine Cintron
Tuesday, August 21, 2018

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