What Is the Most Interesting Fact About You as a Parent?

[Too Pretty To Work]

I was born to a Cuban mother and American father out of wedlock. They married and then divorced almost immediately. My mother was murdered when I was 4yrs old by her boyfriend who was one of my many criminals who was released from Mariel Harbor in Cuba...it's been 25yrs and he has never been caught. I was sent to live with my dad and step-mother and my 1/2 brother was sent with his dad. My step-mother was very mean to me. She was jealous and resentful. She abused me mentally and physically and treated me like her personal maid and nanny for my 2 younger 1/2 brothers...because of the anger and stress growing up, by the time I was in high school I would scratch my face and bite my wrists out of frustration and thought of committing suicide...when I was 18, I was allowed to have my first boyfriend, I married him at 20 and got the hell out of my house (my step-mom tried to control my wedding as well)...I was married and very much in love, 4yrs after my wedding I had my 1st child and my husband left me for another woman that he worked with...I had no job cause I was laid off, no school cause I quit college to get married and he told me that we couldn't afford it and we had 2 foster kids...I struggled by myself for a year as a single mother of 3, working and going back to school....I was so depressed and stressed that I lost so much weight ( a size 0 was loose on me)...finally the girls were removed cause the foster care agency was worried for my health but knew I was a good mother beside what was happening in my life personally...a year later, my husband decides he wants to make-up (at this time I did not know about the woman, I thought he left cause he was a momma's boy and me and his mom did not get along). We get back together, get pregnant again...then I find out about the other woman...I almost miscarry my baby...I continue with school but quit working....fast forward to now...I am 29, with a soon to be 5yr old son and soon to be 3yr old daughter, I am 1yr shy of getting my bachelors degree in Psychology and I plan on getting my Master's once the youngest is in school. I plan on using my degree to work with troubled children who have been neglected, abused, and/or have experienced a tramatic event such as myself...I am not a very religeous person, but I believe things happen for a reason, and maybe all of my bad expereinces in life are so that I can help others? Just a thought

I finally was reunited with my mother's family when I was pregnant with my first child. My grandma was dying of cancer and I was able to see her before she passed. I keep in touch with my cousins using myspace and facebook and I found my 1/2 brother and I will be meeting him for the 1st time in 25yrs this July, as I am also a bridesmaid in his wedding I am also surprising my kids with a trip to Disney and my cousins plan on meeting us, so that we can meet and my kids can meet their kids....July and August are going to be very emotional times for me...but I am very excited!

So because of all my experiences, I strive to be the most loving and understanding mother that I can. I am very open and honest with my kids. We have a very close relationship and I know that I lost so many memories that I could have had with my own mother and I plan on relishing and taking in and enjoying every moment and memory with my kids as humanly possible. They are the world to me!