Bad Parents

Prior to the hurricane my son had an episode of vomiting, high fever and pain in his ear- yep, you guessed it, it was a full blown ear infection. So the doctor prescribes an antibiotic that my son is supposed to take for 10 days.

Two days later we evacuate for the hurricane. Needless to say my son probably received two doses of the medicine. Exactly one week after the hurricane my son throws up again and is complaining about his ear. Shit. So, we go back to the doctor and I tell a pretty convincing lie that when we evacuated we FORGOT the medicine at home and since it had to be refrigerated it ended up spoiling because we lost power. She gave me the side eye but wrote another prescription.

So, September 19th we get another prescription that he is supposed to take TWICE a day for 10 days. Although the hurricane is over the aftermath still lives on and to say our schedule/pace has been harried is the biggest understatement of the year. My son has not taken the prescription- correction his horrible parents have not given him his medicine in two days. My fear is that if we go back to the doctor she will excuse herself and call CPS from the another room.

I seriously feel like a major failure. It breaks my heart when he's sick and although he has been fine- wrecking havoc all over the house- I know the infection is probably still lingering and will rear it's ugly head again and it will be all our fault. If we have to go back I'm going to put a reminder in my phone to ring when it's time for his medicine- I know I should have done that at first, hindsight makes me feel even worse. I pray to God he gets better and that we don't have to go back to the doctor. Internet please send positive vibes our way!

(that picture is from my collection The Genius @ 10 months old)

Get Fit or Die Tryin'. . .

Okay, so in my attempt to adopt a healthier lifestyle I'm starting off with a detox "diet" to get my system back on track. I bought some Dannon yogurt, which is actually pretty good, and to kick it up a little I add a teaspoon of Special K Cinnamon Pecan cereal (I could eat this DRY all day!).

I just noticed today as I ate the last cup of yogurt that the package says "Light Fat Free". Huh? How can something be "light" AND "fat free"? No wonder I've been STARVING at the end of every day!

Actually, yesterday was my breakthrough day- I went the entire day without even thinking about chocolate. I even feel a little lighter. . .although that evil tool of the devil (the scale) only shows that only one pound of fat has melted from my body. I'm not letting this detour me in any way because it's not actually about really seeing weight loss so much as it is about getting healthy and re-energized.

But I swear it's a conspiracy because the stuff that's supposed to be the healthiest for you is EXPENSIVE as heck! While on the other hand the bad stuff is cheap and ALWAYS on sale! It's the devil I tell ya!

Get Moving

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about making some life changes. The number one thing I need to do is commit to getting healthy for life instead of just losing weight and going on diets every time I have an event to attend or a vacation coming up. I need to start eating healthier and exercising daily. I feel so much more energized when I exercise on the regular and it seems the older I get my ability to drop 7 to 10 pounds within a couple of weeks is starting to diminish. My metabolism is almost at a screeching halt.

Not to mention I want to be around and healthy for a long time to come- my son is only four, I can’t afford to be falling a part. I’ve got to be around to cheer him on at his college graduation! I think I’m going to meet with a nutritionist and set up a plan for healthy eating, I’m also going to start walking in the downtown tunnels at lunch coupled with working out two days a week at the Y, and 15 minutes of yoga in the mornings.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle is a great thing that parents should do not only for themselves but for their kids. In this high tech/computer and video game era we live in childhood obesity is at an all time high. But parents have the power to help change their children’s sedentary routine and dependency on snacks high in fat and sugar. When children grow practicing healthy eating habits and getting regular exercise they are more likely to continue these habits into adulthood. I’m fortunate because although I definitely need to step up my game when it comes to physical fitness, I am married to a runner and exercise enthusiast. My son is definitely influenced by his marathon running father and he participated in his first kid’s race a couple of weekends ago. He loves to run, play all kinds of sports and he gets daily exercise at school each morning, so I would say he’s off to a fairly good start. Now, if I could only get him to eat his broccoli and understand that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches do not constitute a well balanced meal!

Buzz Words

The past three days have been very interesting to say the least. I am a member of the NBCDI and the mission of the organization is quite simple: to improve and protect the quality of life of Black children and families.

On Saturday the Houston chapter hosted a Spelling Bee in the Cuney Homes Housing Project. We had about fifteen kids participate from ages 9 to 12. It was my first BCDI event and it was quite rewarding. Make no mistake about it despite the circumstances under which many of them are living these children are incredibly bright. All participants received McDonald's gift cards and the final three won trophies. Afterwards we stayed and served hot dogs and nachos to the participants and their parents (plus a few others. . .word spread fast about the FREE FOOD).

The final word that crowned our winner was exactly how I felt to be a part of this event:
P-R-I-V-I-L-E-G-E-D

Now I guess I should have started this posting talking about what happened when I woke up Thursday morning. I woke up feeling all twisted in a knot like I had been practicing contortionist moves in my sleep. I stretched and did some basic yoga moves to get my blood flowing. After a hot shower everything felt pretty good except my right arm. I had a little "twinge" but figured it would be all good by the time I got to work. After being at work most of the day typing at a furious pace and using my mouse with my right hand in rapid fire motion- my right arm started to HURT.

I went home and put some ice on it and elevated it- because by that time my elbow was swollen. I am in straight panic mode and thisclose to going to the ER. But I wait it out and fall asleep upright in the big chair and head to my doctor first thing in the morning. I was referred to an orthopedist to make sure I didn't have a fracture (!), which now I'm looking at my husband crazy because I'm thinking, "Did he jack me up in my sleep?!" So, I go in for -x-rays at the orthopedist office and I cry like a baby because my arm is literally locked in place and the x-ray tech has to try and stretch it out to get the x-ray.

Once I pull myself together the films are ready and I go back to take a look with the doctor and there is this little ball out to the side of my elbow that he refers to as a "calcification" build up. Better known as "tennis elbow". I have NEVER EVER in my life played tennis. I don't even play sports. In fact, the only time I'm exert any energy outside is when I go check the mailbox. Dang, that mail must have been heavier than I thought! He said, I probably had some trauma to the elbow a long time ago and slept on it wrong and aggravated it. I have banged my funny bone really hard before but I didn't think any damage had been done. After giving me a sling and a Rx for Cortisone tablets I was told it is a chronic condition that can flare up again if I'm not careful. (Despite my injury I was at the Spelling Bee serving hot dogs!)

The thing that is so wild about this entire freak occurrence is that Sunday was my birthday (yes, on Mother's Day) so it was quite appropriate that I celebrated another birthday on Mother's Day because getting old is a mother-shut-yo-mouth!

Tagged, Part Deux

It seems I never have time to exercise anymore. Between hectic projects at work, homework, family and social commitments there is just never enough time for ME! So, this week I've been spending thirty minutes a day running around the backyard with my son playing his new favorite game: FREEZE TAG!


I. AM. SO. OUT. OF. SHAPE. Let me tell you just how pathetic I am: I kept making sure to position myself near a patio chair so that at the precise moment he "froze" me I could have something to sit/lean on. Ha ha!

At this moment, the freeze tag game has commenced so, I have to run (literally)! Find a way to incorporate some fun with the kiddo's into your exercise regime too!

Autism Awareness

April is National Autism Awareness Month. Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities.

Autism has been in the spotlight a lot more these days and I'm sure it's the result of several celebrities and other high profile (read: Anglo) individuals coming forth and sharing their stories of raising an autistic child. Hopefully this attention will bring about more funding and research to assist families who are dealing with this issue.


Statistics have shown that black children who suffer from Autism usually receive a delayed diagnosis as compared to their white counterparts. Because black parents often lack resources or knowledge about the disorder they usually accept it when the doctor says "oh, boys are sometimes slower than girls" or "oh, she'll eventually catch up" and unfortunately the real issue is not discovered until they enter the public school system and at this point the child has potentially missed out on years of treatment. Here are some early warning signs, if your child is experiencing any of these issues you may want to have them tested- if your child's doctor does not do much to reassure you- GET A SECOND OPINION:


1.Does your child answer to his/her name? Unless a child has some type of hearing loss they should start responding to the sound of their name within the first few months of life.
2. Was your child talking and has suddenly regressed and is no longer talking?
3. Does your child resist cuddling and holding?
4. Does your child perform repetitive movements, such as rocking, spinning or hand-flapping?
5. Does your child have an unusual sensitivity to light, sounds or touch?
SOURCE: mayoclinic.com


Autism usually affects children during the first few years of life and many are diagnosed before their 4th birthday. If you are the parent of a black child with Autism you might want to consider becoming a part of this online community Autism Concepts.


My thoughts and prayers are with families who must face this challenge every day and I hope that researchers can determine the root cause so, that scientists can potentially prevent or limit the number of future cases as well as continue to effectively treat individuals who are currently diagnosed with the disorder.

Pass the Tissue

I'm sitting here wondering when my son is going to wipe his nose. Now if I can see that it's running, he can certainly FEEL it?! Okay, he's getting up and he's getting a. . .car. Okay, now he's going to. . .his room. Okay, he came back. . . surely after passing by the box of tissue for the second time he will see it and realize the wet liquid pooling around his top lip can be wiped off using one of these soft, soothing. . .okay, enough already excuse me while I yell- um, I mean gently remind him to wipe his nose! Geez!

After my son started daycare (it's been almost a year and a half) he developed what I call a chronic runny nose. It started as allergies-clear runny nose and watery eyes-but soon his nostrils were always filled with thick yellow and/or green (EW!) mucous. A doctor's visit revealed that he had become the recipient of the germs and viruses shared in abundance by children in daycare.

The doctor prescribed antibiotics and after taking the appropriate doses his nose would stay dry for about a week. Then the vicious cycle would start all over again. The reason: allergies are not contagious but sinus infections and head colds are contagious and many parents take their children to daycare unaware that they pose a potential threat to their playmates. We've been conditioned to believe the only time a child is contagious is if a fever is present. But if a child has an infection and they wipe their nose throughout the day (even with tissue) and then play with toys that other children come in contact with or if they touch other children with their hands they are unknowingly passing germs.

The only way we would be able to prevent my son from being infected is to either take him out of daycare or take him to daycare in a bubble suit. Since those aren't really viable options we have learned to live with it and pray that once he starts public school his immune system will be stronger. In the meantime we stock up on tissue (note to self- buy stock in Kleenex), keep Children's Claritin on hand, and a nasal aspirator. Another way to control (not cure) a chronic runny nose is with salt water (saline) drops in the nose for maximum drainage.

Don't know if your child is contagious? Here are some signs:
1. Fever
2. Thick yellowish green or gray nasal discharge with or without a fever
3. Excessive coughing and/or sneezing
4. Tiredness (when they are usually very active)

Also, remember to have children wash their hands several times a day and every time they wipe their nose. For more information log on to http://www.aap.org/

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