Browngirl Speaks

Head on over to the new and improved BrownGirl Speaks.

Say it with me in the Claire Huxtable voice: “MY BABY!”

So, this tooth has been loose for several weeks and, in the meantime, the new tooth decided to show up prematurely. AND the tooth next to it! They were growing in behind the teeth in front. The second tooth is barely loose, so my baby may have what some refer to as “stacked teeth”. UGH! I think I see some serious hardware in his future. Nonetheless, I cannot believe he is losing and growing teeth.

Just one more thing to remind me that my baby’s not a baby anymore.

I just came across the cutest of resources, one for note taking and one for creating your own newspaper. They can both be found on the ReadWriteThink website. The website is full of student materials and information related to literacy. Now, these are ahead of my first grader, but I had to share. I just hope they’re still available when it is appropriate.

The ReadWriteThink Notetaker is an interactive tool that let’s the student choose from built-in formatting. They can select bullets or Roman numerals, for example, and type their reading notes directly on screen then print them out. This could be great for those who don’t like to hand write notes and/ or reinforcement of the proper note taking format.

My favorite is the ReadWriteThink Printing Press. Another interactive tool that let’s the student create a printable newspaper, brochure, booklet, or flyer. I toyed with the newspaper option a bit and loved it! This is an amazing resource for teaching kids the proper layout of each of the aforementioned types of publications. It has kid friendly tool bar for formatting color and font size. There’s also a guide, that can be turned on or off, which explains what each section in the layout should include. This should incite so many hours of fun. This could be a great way to document your homeschool happenings in print for relatives that may not have computer access for reading blogs. Think how much the grandparents would love to receive your homeschool newspaper in the mail periodically!

This is just something else that makes me wish we had the internet when I was a kid…

If anyone actually completes a project on the printing press tool, please do share. I’d love to see a finished project.

P.S. To THL, for the HOH my top choices are Homeschool Boutique and Rainbow Resource Center.

I have been dealing with some major conflicting emotions lately, well…maybe not just lately. I battle the realist lying dormant inside me. I really need the realist to leave me altogether. I know everyone’s all about “keepin’ it real”, but for me, keepin’ it real meant a constant negative attitude and no peace. It’s a struggle to stay on this more positive road.

Most days I feel like I’m right on the cusp of something extraordinarily divine happening for my family. I cherish those moments of feeling so full and overwhelmed. And then there are other moments…

Yesterday, I had a small breakdown. I sobbed almost uncontrollably and it was something so small that set me off. It’s terribly hard to speak in the affirmative on what’s not really there. It’s disheartening to know your head and heart are in the right place, yet you struggle for even a mediocre lifestyle while those only concerned with self and, sometimes, malice thrive. It sucks to know you’ve done the work of ten men and receive no reward, but see those who do nothing have everything handed to them.

But what can you do? As Jill Scott sang: I Keep. I still speak my positive affirmations: I am blessed beyond measure. I have every need met. I have abundant peace. I still celebrate those who have success and good fortune…that actually deserve it. I keep believing that one day I’ll get to celebrate and bask in my own success and good fortune.

Ase

My bff and I have had numerous discussions regarding home schooling especially in the Black community. She’s a relatively new mom and doesn’t have plans to home school her little one, but always has encouraging words for my family’s doing so. I understand that for her, it may not be her calling to home school. However, she has pointed out that I should not see myself as a sacrificial lamb by making the choice to home school. By that I mean that I shouldn’t worry about the sacrifices made by our family with only one income. Also, that I’m not utilizing my talents and skills for more gainful prospects as my dad has mentioned a few times. My bff says that the real reason more Black folks don’t home school is not necessarily that they can’t afford to but, most likely, because they don’t want to give up things. Things that they value more than their children’s standard of education. And I’m sure this applicable to other groups, but even in my personal experience talking about home school with other Black families, it’s always “Oh, we can’t afford to do it.” An “aha!” moment.

Now to my point.

You might think that I would feel privileged anyway, since I get to stay home and not work. But, that’s not what I consider the privilege. Anyone can stay home and not work, but not everyone will take on the sole responsibility of educating their children. Are we “well off” financially? Hell nah! But I’m not focusing on sacrifices and have nots.

So, whatever your ethnic background is, do you view home schooling as a sacrifice or privilege? Either way, how so?

So much going on in my little microcosm these days…

I’m working for The Infinite Field Magazine. It’s a digital spiritual lifestyle magazine. The premiere issue is scheduled for August. Do not miss out on what this magazine has to offer.

I’m working on an African American History/Literature homeschool curriculum. This is a need I see unmet and have a passion for. I also think that my approach will be unique. Stay tuned.

I’m still hustling my tees. Mainly online as I don’t have the capital to pursue booths at conventions and whatnot.

Still homeschooling the kid, of course. Still reading, when I can. I’m always reading, just not always for pleasure.

When I need a break, I can be found on Facebook playing Uno. *wink*

I mourn and celebrate the life of an artist. MJ was a man, a human, full of err just like the rest of us. However, he made contributions to the music and dance world unprecedented and never to be duplicated. Respect.

Truessence tagged me.

Total books I own:

currently 213 (not including my son’s library)

Last book I bought:

Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

Last book I read:

The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Adichie

Five books that mean a lot to me:

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston

Like the Singing Coming Off the Drums by Sonia Sanchez

Possessing the Secret of Joy by Alice Walker

She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb

Let the Lion Eat Straw by Ellease Southerland

I’m supposed to tag others, but all my reader friends have been tagged, so any takers feels free to join in.

The Thing Around Your Neck should be on your summer reading list.

Adichie is definitely becoming one of my favorite writers. This is only the second work of hers I’ve read, the first being Half of a Yellow Sun which is phenomenal.

Beautiful prose…

from "A Private Experience" "…that religion and ethnicity are often politicized because the ruler is safe if the hungry ruled are killing one another."

from "Ghosts" "…and I will be forced to live a life cushioned by so much convenience that it is sterile."

I really appreciate her use of second person narrative in the title story. It makes it that much more engaging and instigates a strong empathy. She liberally takes on sexual politics in regards to women and homosexuality in the African community without a bunch of hype.

"The Arrangers of Marriage" is one of my favorites in which you see a young Igbo woman brought to America by a husband who wants so desperately to fit into the "mainstream" it’s almost disgusting. The last two stories - "Tomorrow is Too Far" and "The Headstrong Historian" - were a bit lackluster in the subtle and heart wrenching language as in the prior stories. But this shouldn’t stop anyone from adding it to their must read list.

The reader will learn that the "The Thing Around Your Neck" applies to each story and some problem, concern, or truth that can be emotionally binding.

This one is worthy of a second date.