Jun 15, 2013

Some Men Are Daddies

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Black father, African-American father, dad, Mama Knows It All

Father's Day is particularly special for my family this year. Even though Ayva is 4, it's the first year that we are going to celebrate an actual father in her life. I'm fortunate that as a single mother, we've had family members and friends who have been positive male influences for Ayva. As much as I appreciate that, though, in my heart, I knew that it wasn't the same as her having a Daddy. I've said it before, and I stand by it still; little girls need fathers. Now whether the man in that … [Read more...]

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Jun 12, 2013

5 Children’s Books About Black Fathers

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African American books, Black fathers, children's books, Mama Knows It All

I know a lot of African-American fathers. It's heartwarming to see how they take care of their families, and how fiercely they love their children and wives. It's inspiring to see in person in my own home, and it's awesome to read about in these children's books about Black fathers. Trying to find books for little Black children with Black fathers has proven to be quite the challenge. Not sure why Black fatherhood isn't depicted more in books, but if you're a children's book author just know … [Read more...]

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Jun 2, 2013

Just One Penny

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justonepenny

My Ayva has been blessed with the gift of finding money wherever she goes. It's mostly pennies, but every occasionally she'll discover a dime, or even a quarter. She gets so excited whenever she finds a coin, and it doesn't even matter what denomination it is. She seriously acts like she's just found a sack filled with a million dollars every time. I was thinking about that today when I walked past a penny on the ground. Even as I thought about how Ayva would have picked it up, I didn't stop. … [Read more...]

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May 15, 2013

Embracing the Year of the Tantrum

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yearofthetantrum

Ayva has only been 4 for a little over a week, but I've already decided to call this "The Year of the Tantrum". It's not like I was caught off guard, though. We've clearly been on the road to Tantrum Town for the last couple of months. It seemed like every day I lost a little more of my sweet little 3-year-old, and gained a teeny tiny teenager, complete with the angst and the 'tude. I honestly don't think I've said, "sassy mouth", more times in my life than I have the in the past few weeks. This … [Read more...]

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May 2, 2013

The 5 Rules of Mommy Travel

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mom, travel, business trip

I travel a lot for my job. In the last eleven months, I've been on nine business trips. I've left my daughter behind for all except once. We've come a long way since that fateful first trip away from her when she was 17 months old. You know that trip. The one where I met my now fiancé? Before that trip, I was understandably anxious, and I even felt a little guilty about leaving her. Although I knew she was in good hands, I was still nervous about leaving her when we'd never spent even a few … [Read more...]

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Apr 10, 2013

5 Ways to Have Fun With Your Kids This Summer…For FREE!

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Free things to do with kids in the summer

I just signed Ayva up for summer camp. I was fortunate to still get a slot, even though I was about 2 months late. Yes, y'all. The race to get in a good, affordable camp starts early. Just add that to one of the other things no one ever tells you before you become a parent! Even though she'll be in camp for a few hours per day, I still need to keep her occupied the rest of the time. I asked my friend, Janeane from Janeane's World, and mother of 4,  for some ideas to have fun (for free!) this … [Read more...]

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