Mamalicious!

My latest column is up over at AntiRacist Parent.  And kudos to new ARP editor, Tami!

Conversation today with BabyGirl (age 4.5):
BG: So, Mommy…your phone number is 412.XXX.XXXX?
Me: Yes.
BG: And my phone is…412.XXX.XXXX?
Me: Yes.
BG (face full of sheer delight): WE’RE TWINS!  High five, Mommy!

…holding someone’s infant and saying, “She’s beautiful, generally speaking. But I do think a bonnet would help distract from that gi-normous dome of hers. And those ears…”
Polite, tactful people don’t say things like this, of course. But when you share your writing, or any art, with someone for feedback, it really is […]

You can also check out this review and related content over at 3BlackChicks and ShapingYouth.

A few months ago, I viewed the trailer for Girls Rock!, a documentary which chronicles a 5-day-long Rock ‘n Roll Camp for Girls in Portland, Oregon. At the camp, the girls form bands, write music, and ultimately perform for a […]

How flattered am I that Amy Jussel at ShapingYouth.org decided to cross-post my AntiRacistParent column (Breaking the Color Code and Princess Power)?
ShapingYouth is a forum about media and marketing’s influence on kids, and is chock-full of great resources for parents and anyone interested in kids and consumer culture. Another such site is ParentsForEthicalMarketing.org/Corporate Babysitter. […]

My latest column, The Princess Problem: “There’s More Than One Way of Being Pretty”, is up over at AntiRacistParent.  Toot-toot.

Dear Mini-Me,
The tulips, delivered to my front door yesterday, were indeed wonderful.  Bright, fresh, and lovely.
The mini mylar balloon was cute.
The chocolates, which you and your little sister ate the majority of helped me eat, were heavenly.
But this afternoon, you topped yourself when you came bounding into my bedroom with a large collection of Dilbert […]

My relationship with my late mother was a loving but rocky one. Not long ago, when I drafted a tribute to my grandmother, the wonderful editor who guided me through the revision of that essay pointed out major holes in the piece. These holes represented places where I hesitated to write anything remotely […]

Hat tip to JA at Wigger Lover
 
I read an excerpt of Patton’s book before it was released. I felt it to be a hard read, and so I haven’t gotten a copy (yet). Would love to hear from anyone who has finished it.
 
An interview with historian and writer Stacey Patton
conducted by […]

Good news…I got into VONA!
Bad news…I was accepted for a different week and a different class than I requested. So I’m passing. Maybe next year…
Good news…We got all the planting done!
Bad news…The same little girls who have asked me daily for the past month, “Are we gardening TODAY???” pretty much bailed after an […]