Far East

Be back soon. . . .

That's What's Up

This makes me swell with pride as if he was my own son. . . .

Say It Loud is a youth film that explores the importance of education for African-American boys. When Jordan Coleman was 10-years-old he became a voice over actor on Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. show The Backyardigans; he's the voice of Tyrone the moose. Jordan's parents challenged him to use some of his earnings to make a positive contribution to his community ... he hired a film crew and began interviewing African-American boys and men for his Say It Loud film.

Check out his website: http://www.sayitloudfilm.com/

Decorating Sense

My priorities are all screwed up. Have I said this before? I was too lazy to sort through the archives to see if I have in fact been singing this same old sad song. But pardon me as I go on again. . .the family and I have taken travel to a new level this year. So far we have gone on four pretty big trips this year. . .not to mention we just returned from San Antonio this past weekend. Spent the night on the Riverwalk (cha-ching) and took my son to the Backyardigan’s Live Show at the Majestic Theater (can you say orchestra seats and souvenirs!). But wait it doesn’t stop there. . .we are gearing up for a trip so monumental next week that I’m not even going to post about it until we get back.

Meanwhile. . . the carpet in my bedroom looks like it has been the playground for several wet, muddy animals with Cheetos on their paws. Uh- no, we do not have any pets.

Last year we finally ripped up the carpet in the living room and replaced it with hardwood and just recently (for cohesiveness) my husband ripped up the carpet in the ½ bath and extended the wood inside- why would a home builder think carpet in a bathroom is a good idea?!- so now that my husband has mastered putting wood down in this 6’x 3’ space he thinks he is ready to conquer our bedroom which is at least 10 times (or maybe 7 times, not too good with square footage) as big. I am excited about saving at least $1,500 in labor costs but I am concerned about his timetable. I can just see me having to call one of those home improvement shows to fix the mess he made after we've been living in it for six months!

My point is (yes, I have one) while traveling is my most favorite thing ever, I enjoy coming home even more and instead of spending money to stay at all these random hotels I really feel like we need to invest more into our house. Namely our bedroom. So, after our trip next week all travel will CEASE until our bedroom has been completed- I'm talking the whole SHEBANG- paint, hardwood floors, bedding, new fixtures and vanity in the master bath, art work and window treatments. Now of course after this is all said and done there will be no money for traveling so, it will be nice to kick back in my “luxury hotel” themed bedroom.

Did I mention my husbands "helper"? After TheGenius made that comment about not having to work because he's a kid- he got a quick lesson in Earning Your Keep 101.

Let The Music Play

Sometimes my son and I dance around the house until we are both out of breath. I seriously need to do this EVERYDAY and it would solve my exercise dilemma. Anyway, his two favorite songs are Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts (it’s the Cars theme song) and My Mic Sounds Nice by Salt-n-Pepa. Ha ha! Eclectic, right?

I play these songs (as well as others) over and over and we sing loud, off key and dance ourselves dizzy. I used to do this a lot by myself when I was a single gal and had my own apartment. I would have CD’s (and CASSETTE TAPES) all over my apartment and I would dance and lip sync in front of the mirror. This was seriously my workout back in the day.

I’ve always had a love affair with music. I love it just about as much as I love reading. Songs have the power to lift you up and make you smile or bring you down and hold you there for a while. I find music to be inspirational and empowering. Sometimes in the ears of the wrong listeners it can also be motivation for madness.

I have a particular affinity for “old school” music. I listen to everything from Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics to What Is Love by Howard Jones to I’ve Been Loving You to Long by Otis Redding to Sweetest Taboo by Sade to Baby Baby Baby by TLC. My most favorite music is anything by Prince in the 80’s and old school hip hop from the 80’s. The 90’s new jack swing era also holds a special place in my heart and I have every CD Jodeci ever made. And do I even need to mention the love for Tupac and Biggie? But oddly enough, I also LOVE Dolly Parton’s theme song from 9 to 5 and I think Kenny Rogers’ song, The Gambler is the best metaphor for life:
You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em, Know when to walk away and know when to run.You never count your money when you’re sittin’ at the table.There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealins done.

As far as current music goes. . .I think Jill Scott is phenomenal and I’m waiting with bated breath for Maxwell’s new CD. I like Raheem DeVaughn and Anthony David. Guess my tastes lately reflect a more “mature” woman. However I do like Lupe Fiasco (or maybe just that Daydreamin’ joint because of Jill Scott). One person I am NOT a fan of at all and I am scratching my head trying to not only figure out what he’s saying but how he got famous is Lil Wayne. Don’t get me wrong -back in my backsliding days I used to love me some Cash Money Millionaires, “Number one stunna- what, what what?” and I even liked Weezy’s first song, “The Block is Hot” but that madness he’s spittin’ lately? I just don’t feel inspired, empowered or entertained by much of the muck on the radio these days. I guess I really am getting old. Whatever. Let me get back to MY music. . .this was my most favorite song to lip sync to. . .okay, so I admit I was lip syncing to it last night! (And YES, I do the choreography complete with pretending to play the drums! Ha ha!)

Shelia E Glamorous Life

Swimming Pool Safety

So far this year, 24 children have drowned in the Houston area. The majority of these children were minorities. Statistics show that six out of ten black children cannot swim and 56% of Hispanics cannot swim.

If you own a pool, live near a pool or your children come in contact with a pool it is extremely important that you teach them pool safety and never leave them unattended. It is also a common misconception that just because a child can swim they are not in danger of drowning. In addition to having skill in the water they need to also follow safety tips such as no horseplay around the pool where they are likely to slip and hit their heads, no horseplay in the water especially as it involves actions that could cause them to take in a lot of water into their nose and no diving into the pool from the shallow end.

As a parent if your child spends a lot of time in or around a pool you should consider becoming certified in CPR and make sure to always keep rescue equipment (such as lifesavers) nearby. Also, remove any toys from around the pool or in the water that might lure young children. The best pools to frequent are those that have a certified lifeguard on duty.

USA Swimming has started a program called Make a Splash to help children, specifically minority children learn to swim. One of the programs biggest supporters is a young black man named Cullen Jones. The 24 year old professional swimmer will be competing in the Beijing Olympics this year. At the 2008 Olympic swimming trials, Jones broke the American record in the 50 meter freestyle with a time of 21.59.

Learning to swim is definitely a plus when it comes to pool safety however it does not guarantee that a child will not drown if they are not careful in the water. Make sure your children are smart and safe while they enjoy cooling off this summer!

School Days

My son will be entering kindergarten in THIRTEEN short months. My husband and I are contemplating sending him to a charter school versus a public primary school. Currently he enjoys learning and he is very interested in reading, writing and exploring his artistic side. We want him to be in an educative environment that will nurture these interests and not have the same expectations for every child by teaching to a standardized test that will measure (often inaccurately) their level of knowledge and intelligence.

The charter school we’re considering is a constructivist environment. The term constructivist refers to the idea that learners construct knowledge for themselves---each learner individually (and socially) constructs meaning---as he or she learns. I know it sounds a little hippie-ish but if a child is in an environment where they have the opportunity to learn things in their own way then I feel they will stand a better chance of thriving and being successful in their studies.

My son is very bright and is already mastering many of the things that educators will focus on in kindergarten and I have absolutely, positively no doubt that if he attended public school he would do very well. . .that is until he no longer finds it challenging, which is what happens to a lot of children in public school. The lesson plans become monotonous and on many levels I think it stifles children’s intellectual growth. That is why so many public schools have “honors” or “gifted and talented” programs. I don’t think that it’s necessarily because the children in those classes are geniuses but mainly because those children have outgrown the lesson plan in the traditional classroom setting.

The biggest investment you can make in your child is their education. I want my son to know from DAY ONE in kindergarten how important it is for him to go to school and get an education not to mention I want him to be engaged and concerned about his academic future. So, we’ll sign up for the “lottery” in March to see if he will get into the school we have selected. The lottery is allegedly “random” but I think it’s all about how impressive you come across on your application. So, mama is planning on working her MAGIC to make it happen!

More Words of Wisdom

Everyday my son, says things that entertain (and sometimes infuriate) me but here are some of this weeks gems:

1. I don't want to talk about dying because you don't get to live anymore.

2. I'm really smart, I can figure a lot of stuff out.

3. Power naps give you rest.

4. I'm a kid so I don't have to do any work.

5. Being good is easy, all you have to do is listen and pay attention.

He is just getting too big and too smart too soon! I have to admit I am enjoying him a lot these days and all the "intellectual" conversations we have, ha ha! I'm sure the day is coming when I will be wishing he would just HUSH but right now I'm loving it!