The Mahogany Way

Good Ol' Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 17:50:00 +0000

Every Thursday there is a homeschool park playdate. Every Thursday I forget. I had only been two or three times, once towards the end of my pregnancy with Samuel, and I think two other times since he's been born.

I had posted on Facebook to see if anyone wanted to meet us at the beach Thursday since it was going to be in the 70's. We had trouble coordinating that, and I didn't want to sit at the beach alone. I needed some mama company. One of my friends reminded me about park day - so that's where we went.

We were really early, but that didn't stop my three from running to check the place out. While I was at the other end with Samuel I could here the girls giggling and squealing.
Ava keeps asking when we're going back to the park with the silver spinning thing.....probably next Thursday.

I didn't get as much mama time as I wanted - Samuel thinks he's as big as the girls, so of course he can do everything they do.
I was worried they were going to spin him too fast. They didn't go as slow as I would like, but Samuel didn't seem to mind. He would roll off and get right back up there.

They played on the swings, and once the other kids arrived, they took turns on the spinning thing. They played tag, and climbed all over the metal jungle gyms.

Not long after I would sit down to talk to my mama friends, Samuel would want to go check out something else. He really enjoyed himself on that slide. The first time he went down with Ava....after that he slid down without help. My baby is growing up!

Everyone had a good time. That beautiful Spring weather we had from Wed-Fri was such a tease. I really need warmer weather to stay. My mood is much better, I have more energy, and who doesn't like warmth and sunshine?

Since Thursday there's been...

Coloring
Puzzles
Wii Play
Little Monsters & Beetle Juice on Netflix
Barney & Dora on Netflix
New books
Backyard play
Front yard play with their neighbor friend
Painting, more painting, and more painting
Decorating cardboard crowns with feathers and sequins
Exploring all the new online games I bookmarked from Sunnymama
Sipping wine, reading, and knitting for this mama
The kids almost driving me to tears.
Lots of thought on my upcoming mom's night out - it's desperately needed

Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest....we'll see how that goes.

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Recently

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:32:00 +0000

Sunday we took the kids to see the dead whale that washed ashore. Some of my friends were able to view the necropsy Tuesday. We couldn't make it back down there, but I'm going to pick their brains about it next time I see them this week.

It was cool to be so close to a whale, especially with the kids recent interest in ocean life.

We took the kids to the mall after we left the beach. Ava asked if we could make wishes in the water...so we did. Samuel had a hard time leaving - he wanted to keep splashing in the water.

We stopped to check out the Wicked exhibit in the middle of the mall. They have a stage play coming here next month. I'm planning to take the girls with Dee and Dana.

Before heading to the play area, we stopped to check out the chocolate mermaid. Kiah wanted to know why someone took a bite out of her tail.... I would love to have a chocolate bar this size...nom nom nom.

Stay up to date on the latest happenings. Subscribe to The Mahogany Way. and like my page on Facebook. Are you a Mahogany Mama? Join us at my Community for Mothers of Color. Love to talk birth? Come see me at The Birth Cafe.

Yarn Along: I'm Knitting!

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:19:00 +0000

I am so stinkin' excited that I can knit! My friend Dee took me on a yarn date several weeks ago, and then we went back for the store's Super Ball sale. She let me borrow a pair of circular needles and suggested I try this hat - so that's what I'm working on. My new bloggy friend, Angela has been encouraging me along the way as well. I met her through Dee.

Back to the knitting, hehe....when I first started this hat I was about 8 rows in when I realized I had twisted it. I was really mad, but I pulled it out and started over. There are so many mistakes, dropped stitches, knitted when I should've been purling. It's all part of the process, right? I'm really having fun with it. I taught myself how to knit!

I have two other yarns and those will probably become hats as well.
The blue/green is for the boys, and the pink one on the bottom is for me. I thought one ball of what I'm working on now would be enough for both girls hats, but I'm going to need one more for Ava.

The books - The Gift of Dyslexia. My mom is dyslexic, and so am I.
I didn't find out until I was well into high-school. I see Kiah showing some signs, and I picked up the book thinking it would give me a better glimpse into how to best help her, and it does, but I'm also learning so much about myself!

The second book may cause some frowns from the unschooling community.
A Parents Guide to Gifted Children. In the research I've been doing, I've found that Dyslexia and ADD, or ADHD run hand in hand. The more research I've done on ADD, I'm finding those kids are also considered to be Gifted. Charles was diagnosed with ADD as a child, and we've both seen a lot of those same characteristics in Kiah over the last two years, but especially in this last year.

I've been reading both of these books off and on since the beginning of the year. They are really helping me to understand her, myself, and Charles better. I'll go into more on these subjects - testing, treatment, etc in another post soon.

Join Ginny and many others for Yarn Along.

This Season of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:01:00 +0000

Seems lately that I don't know what to do with myself. Or what it is I'm supposed to be doing with my life.
I have this strong pull towards mama's and babies, breastfeeding, and birth. ~~Somtimes~~ most of the time I feel I should or could be doing more.

I have friends who appear to be doing it all. Am I wrong for wanting it all? There are times when I think "I've got it - this is what I'm supposed to be doing" Yet when I start taking the steps to get there I'm met with one obstacle after another. Just when I think I've made my way past that one, there's another, and another.
Some would say I should keep going....tackling those obstacles and I'll reach my goal. I get that, I really do. I don't think it should be this hard. Not that I think what I want is going to be dropped into my lap, but if this is the path that I'm supposed to take I think it should feel right deep down.

I realized something the past few days....if it's meant to be doors will open. If that door closes, another will open, and possibly some windows. It will feel right for not just me, but my family. It may be hard work, but it won't feel like the worst fight of my life. maybe that's why it feels so wrong....I've been trying to force what I want to happen to happen right now.

I believe that I can have it all - just not at the exact same time. I'm at this season in my life where being a wife, mother, and a facilitator comes first. Nothing wrong with that. It's the life we chose.
I prayed this morning that what is supposed to be will be - and that I'll know it. There won't be any doubts.

There have been plenty of things that have fallen into my lap. I'm so thankful for those people thinking of me and bringing me these opportunities. Preparing for them feels right.... I can keep my family first and work everything else around us.

I'm also thankful for you, my readers. I love this online community. It includes people from all walks of life - from all over the world. I love your emails, comments, blogs, and tweets. I honestly feel and believe this world wide online community is where my main focus is supposed to be. I can also focus on two things locally. I really wish I could say what the local things are.... I promise you'll know in time. Sitting here thinking about it - what I do locally and online actually blend together. I bring my own personal experiences to the table. Don't we all?

What about you? How do you determine what path is best for the different seasons in your life?

Stay up to date on the latest happenings. Subscribe to The Mahogany Way. and like my page on Facebook. Are you a Mahogany Mama? Join us at my Community for Mothers of Color. Love to talk birth? Come see me at The Birth Cafe.

Quotes on Motherhood

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:01:00 +0000

I had pecked out a post on my phone in the early morning hours. Came down to the computer to edit it...Samuel hit a button that erased it. I tried to get it back, but it was too late.
In the post I was talking about the joys and trials of motherhood. Is there such a thing as being just a mom, following your passions, taking time for ourselves, etc.

I found these quotes trying to cheer myself up and thought you all would enjoy them.

******

“The mother-child relationship is paradoxical and, in a sense, tragic. It requires the most intense love on the mother's side, yet this very love must help the child grow away from the mother, and to become fully independent.” ~Erich Fromm

“When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.” ~Sophia Loren

"Women do not have to sacrifice personhood if they are mothers. They do not have to sacrifice motherhood in order to be persons. Liberation was meant to expand women's opportunities, not to limit them. The self-esteem that has been found in new pursuits can also be found in mothering." ~Elaine Heffner

"At work, you think of the children you have left at home. At home, you think of the work you've left unfinished. Such a struggle is unleashed within yourself. Your heart is rent." ~Golda Meir

"Though motherhood is the most important of all the professions requiring more knowledge than any other department in human affairs there was no attention given to preparation for this office." ~Elizabeth Cady Stanton

All Year Round Blog Carnival: Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:55:00 +0000

It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! ~Mark Twain

Our first taste of Spring was a really good one. Our first beach trip this year. Since then that's one of the topics that comes up frequently in conversation. We can't wait until it's warm enough to play in the water so that it's not freezing!

Please join our co-host for the carnival: Sunnydaytodaymama, Mama Smiles, Winding Circle, Smiling Like Sunshine, Home Baked.

We also have a Pinterest Board. You can view that even if you don't have an account.
You can link up an old blog post or a new one. The linky will stay open for the next few months, until the Summer Carnival starts.

I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone's Spring looks like.

weekending

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:08:00 +0000

Kiah's Mosaic

Painting the morning away

First and probably the only snow of winter 2012

This weekend on Netflix:

National Geographic - Amazing Planet

Kiah loves volcanoes - and the first episode in Amazing Planet was all about volcanoes. How they formed around the earth. We learned about plate tectonics, and all of the volcanoes around the world. Since she's a visual child this film was great for her. She really enjoyed it. Asking lots of questions all throughout. The most exciting for me was the illustration of the super-continent Pangea.
We all learned something new!

IMAX: Dolphins

Ava is into Dolphins right now - and she found this documentary all by herself.
She was fascinated by the dolphins interacting with people, twisting in the air, and hearing the sounds they make.

Blue Planet - Seas of Life

Kiah is interested in sharks and Ava wanted to see somethng all about Orthas - that's what she calls Killer Whales. Best of both worlds in this film...also some polar bears, seals, and walruses.

We've been all about documentaries lately.

******

There was more painting

Joining Amanda at Habit of Being.

Stay up to date on the latest happenings. Subscribe to The Mahogany Way. and like my page on Facebook. Are you a Mahogany Mama? Join us at my Community for Mothers of Color. Love to talk birth? Come see me at The Birth Cafe.

Wordless Wednesday: Sharing

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:02:00 +0000

Share the link to your Wordless Wednesday in the comments - also stop by Natural Parents Network to check out more posts.

Stay up to date on the latest happenings. Subscribe to The Mahogany Way. and like my page on Facebook. Are you a Mahogany Mama? Join us at my Community for Mothers of Color. Love to talk birth? Come see me at The Birth Cafe.

Sharing With You - All Year Round Blog Carnival: Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:57:00 +0000

I enjoy participating in blog carnivals. They serves as a great way to discover new bloggers, and talk about different topics you may not think of on your own.
This year SunnDayTodayMama is the main hostess for the All Year Round Blog Carnival: Spring.

Your other hostesses include myself:

Mama Smiles

Winding Circle

Smiling like Sunshine

The way it will work - each co-host will post a linky at the end of their carnival post....our readers will then link up to the carnival. You can link your post to each individual co-host blog if you want, and from there you can blog hop.

First Carnival date is Feb. 15th. The linky will remain open from Feb 15th- May. Everyone is welcome to link up old and new post on your Spring activities.

Sunnymama has also created a pinboard for the carnival on Pinterest.

I'm excited to visit your blogs and see what kinds of things your up to!

Stay up to date on the latest happenings. Subscribe to The Mahogany Way. and like my page on Facebook. Are you a Mahogany Mama? Join us at my Community for Mothers of Color. Love to talk birth? Come see me at The Birth Cafe.

Finding Our Rhythm

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:19:00 +0000

This is one area that I've really struggled with until recently. I always thought the rhythm of a home was supposed to look a certain way. Maybe it is. I believe that with everything else - each family will have a rhythm that works for them.

girls playing toy story 3 memory game in their hideout

With the hours that Charles works and having one vehicle, it can be hard to do the same things at the same time every single day. We do have outside activities on certain days of the week - girl scouts, homesschool co-op, and ballet. Sometimes I feel restricted on what we can and can't do with having one vehicle, but we've made it work our entire marriage. Sometimes he'll take the bus to or from work while I keep the van, but mostly I drop him off and pick him up.

We don't have craft time, story time, free play time, video game/computer time....those things happen all throughout the day on any given day. The girls don't nap anymore - Samuel goes to sleep when he's tired most of the time....other times he fights it, but that's nothing my wraps can't fix.

I don't do things early in the morning because we're all night owls. I love having that freedom for the kids bodies to rest for as long as they need it. The only days of the week we need to get up at certain times...co-op/ballet days.

I suppose it's my own daily rhythm I'm concerned with the most. I want and need to start exercising again. I'm getting older and my body's feeling it. Plus I wouldn't mind shedding 20lbs or so. I've added more things to my plate and now I'm in the process of deciding what to keep and what to let go.

I'm going to start getting out once a week to do something for myself, either alone, or with another mama friend. I need and deserve it. I need that time to recharge, to be away from the kids, to be me. More than wife and mother, ya know?

As for the kids....the only area I really want to have a routine is at night. We're working on different techniques to help them wind down. It seems they get their second wind around 7/8.
I think we'll need to try each one for 2-4 weeks before we know if it's really going to work for us or not.
I truly believe that once we're out on our own, just the five of us, there will be a better flow to our nights.

One of my friends suggested Epsom salt baths. My kids loooove to take baths. That's something that's easy to do right now. Both girls frequently say they feel itchy when they try to go to sleep. I wonder if they feel the way I do when my body is telling me it's time to lay it down. I often feel tingly, can't really sit still, and I know once I lay down I can relax.

Hmm....maybe it's not rhythm I'm looking for? Or maybe we've already found our rhythm and I'm just now realizing it. Maybe we only need some fine tuning in certain areas. I think there is a rhythm to how we spend our days together, the times when we're cooking, crafting, reading, out and about, or watching tv together. There's a rhythm that flows for our family in many ways.

What does the rhythm look like in your family?

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Beach Treasures

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:07:00 +0000

We always bring home something from the beach....besides tons of sand. I had a Tweetup with one of my Twitter friends Tuesday. We were originally going to do a park, but the kids had been asking for the beach and the weather was nice, so why not! Kiah is convinced that Winter is over since the weather's been so nice. Don't I wish.

It was nice to meet someone and learn more about them. But you feel like you already know them, ya know? She was really cool, and we had so much fun. I enjoyed learning more about her and her family, and of course talking birth.

She pointed out all the teeny tiny jellyfish to the girls and it was over after that. The ran up and down the beach collecting them...filling a small pale with at least 20 jellyfish and water. They ended up "cooking" with them instead of bringing them home as planned.
We've only seen the bigger ones during the Summer months.

The completely clear ones don't sting, but the clear with pinkish red dots on top do.
Even Samuel got in on the jellyfishing with his sisters help.

We also found a ton of horseshoe crab shells. We don't see any of those during the summer so that was a nice treat. We usually spot the smaller ones that come and go from their tiny crab holes in the sand.
We came home with a short list of goodies....

sponge
rocks
shells
horseshoe crab shells

Some of the shells have the most beautiful swirl patterns and colors. There were a couple with two or three shells fossilized together - and we talked a little about how that process happens.

After they were done showing them off to the rest of the family they were put into a jar to be displayed. I can't wait until we move this Spring. I'm planning on having a nature bookshelf or something for them to display all the treasures they find out and about.

What kind of treasures are you and your kids collecting?

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Wordless Wednesday: First Beach Trip of 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:34:00 +0000

I would love it if you linked your Wordless Wednesday post in the comments for myself and others to visit.

Stay up to date on the latest happenings. Subscribe to The Mahogany Way. and like my page on Facebook. Are you a Mahogany Mama? Join us at my Community for Mothers of Color. Love to talk birth? Come see me at The Birth Cafe.

the arts

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:06:00 +0000

My friend Dee told me about the Virginia Beach MOCA {Museum of Contemporary Art}
I was looking at some art classes for the girls a couple weekends ago, and then she told me they were having a homeschool open house last Friday and today. I wanted to go with her Friday, but our homeschool co-op is back in session for the semester.

I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it out there today....our van needs some work. It's making a horrid sound when we drive. I decided last minute to load the kids up so we could go check the place out.
It was from 10-12 and we arrived closer to 11am. When Samuel was younger I made much better time, now that he's older, I run late almost all of the time. Gotta do better on that.

We ran into some of our friends as soon as we entered....that's always a nice surprise!

Our first stop was making our very own trading cards. Both girls had made cards with a China theme. Ava also made a giant card with some Egyptian symbols on it. I realized sometime after we left the museum that they left their cards there. Bummer. We did bring home the print out for making more trading cards.

After viewing some of the wild, creative, and beautiful art by Robert Sites, we headed to the kids section.

There was this interesting contraption that had all sorts of pipe cleaners woven through it. They had a ball with that for a while.

They flipped through books, watched a man make a lobster out of glass on the tv, did some drawing, and made an impressive castle out of foam blocks.

I didn't get any pictures of the actual art on the walls. Maybe next time. We really enjoyed ourselves for the short time we were there. I'm thinking of signing the girls up for some of their art classes. I don't know. Ava wants to do Ballet, Kiah has decided on Soccer, plus she has Girl Scouts, and Ava wants to join Girl Scouts this Summer when she turns five. I have my own projects I'm working on.
I don't want to spread myself too thin.

The girls aren't really asking for certain types of classes, but my friends are telling me about all of these great classes, and I know the girls would enjoy them. Then there's finances. I'm always looking for inexpensive activities for the kids, and thankfully we have a lot of options here in Virginia. Still, trying to do too much at once cane make things expensive quickly.

Note to self: we don't have to do everything at once!

There's plenty to do and the year is just starting. I'm supposed to be making a list of all the things we want to do this year. That way I can plan better. I used to be so organized! I'll figure it out.

Stay up to date on the latest happenings. Subscribe to The Mahogany Way. and like my page on Facebook. Are you a Mahogany Mama? Join us at my Community for Mothers of Color. Love to talk birth? Come see me at The Birth Cafe.

My Rebirth: An Honest Look

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:54:00 +0000

Welcome to the first edition of the Authentic Parenting Blog Carnival, hosted by Authentic Parenting and Mudpiemama!
In the month of January, we start afresh, a new year, new ideas. Hence, our participants have looked into the topic of “Birth and New Beginnings”. Take a look at the end of this post to find a list of links to the entries of the other participants.
***

This blog was originally created for me to talk more about myself. I had a separate blog to talk about unschooling, but after much back and forth, I decided to combine the two. I'm really glad I did, but somewhere along the way I lost the art of me. There weren't many post before I combined the blogs, maybe a couple of months worth.

I don't know exactly when it happened, but I do know the how and why. I love taking pictures, and if you're a regular reader that's not news to you. I suppose I started letting my pictures tell the story, and I did less writing.
Honestly, I started reading more parenting advice type blogs, which made me feel like I wasn't good enough. Then I started reading blogs that tell you how to become a successful blogger, and I started to compare myself to these other women that I only had a glimpse of through my screen.

Slowly I allowed myself to continue to feel unworthy. And now.....I'm tired of it.

I've held back and not talked about issues that were important to me....thinking no one would care, and so and so would write about it much better than I could, so why bother? I was also thinking it's not really what my blog is about, so I better stay clear.... I needed to stick with my niche. To be a blogger you're supposed to follow certain rules, use proper English and punctuation, your blog should be free of spelling errors. Um...that ain't me. While I'm a literal person, I also kinda don't like to follow the rules.

There are all types of errors all over this blog, and I don't care about a niche anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I love posting photos of my kids, and will continue to post the way I normally do. I also want to add more of me. Maybe I'm not really sure how to do that, or how well it would be accepted. I have issues, something about never feeling or thinking I was good enough growing up.... those issues could be a book! I've always tried to keep my game face on. Nothing rattles me, and I'm strong. The truth is, there are a lot of things that rattle me, and I don't feel very strong.

My hope is that one day my kids will look back at this blog and see me and themselves through my eyes. How are they gonna do that if I don't share more of me? I would really like to talk more about my struggles, my childhood, my fears and insecurities. For too long I've been caught up in the "right way" of doing things Wondering if I'm AP enough, feeling bad because we can't afford to eat organic. My kids are eating when there are thousands of kids right here in our city that don't have food. I should be grateful, but instead all I can think when I shop, or cook is how it's not organic. Worrying about those who judge us because we unschool, but they haven't even taken the time to learn about it, so why should I care!?

I. am. so. done.

I mean, how much longer am I going to allow myself to be sucked in? My husband loves me and so do my kids. That's all that matters. Why am I comparing myself? Why am I hiding parts of who I am? Life is too short for all this worry I've got going on.

I want my kids to know that they were loved, that I had challenging times, but that I also came through it.
I may not know as much as Suzie Q, but I'm going to start sharing what I do know.

I love God. I'm sassy......and I don't like to be wrong. Have rediscovered my small shoe fetish. I'll wear heels just about anywhere now....they make me feel good! I like makeup, especially lip gloss and mascara, but also love to play with eyeshadow. I'm a jeans and t-shirt kind of gal, but I can also dress it up when needed. I adore big, bold earrings. My favorite colors are pink and red. I enjoy cooking, but don't own a cookbook. I like to drink wine, but my favorite drink is the appletini...mmm.... made with grey goose vodka.

I've recently started wearing my natural hair after a lifetime of weaves and wigs. Loving my baby locs!

I can't sew, but want to learn. Keep saying I'm gonna exercise, but am too lazy to get up in the mornings. I don't cloth diaper anymore, and have been using sposies for months now. I'm upset that I can't get the hang of knitting, and wish I could crochet better. I've found a new love for old black and white movies. Sometimes we eat fast food. There can be a lot of tv watching, and video game playing that goes on when we're home. I don't think it rots your brain, and I don't think it robs the child of their autonomy. We actually learn a lot from the different types of media. I like having some wooden toys, but see nothing wrong with plastic....do you know how many kids would love to have a plastic toy because they have none? Probably millions.

I love Twitter. I really really do. I am so thankful for the online friendships I've made these past few years. It feels good to have such a diverse and big support network in person and online.

Sometimes my kids get on my nerves. Sometimes I want to lock myself in the bathroom for 5 minutes of privacy, and sometimes I do it.

Even on my worst parenting days, or in my not so great mothering moments....I. am. good. enough.

For months I've felt this slow build. A sort of shedding, and I'm ready to be done with the things in my life that are toxic.

This feels great!

***

Visit Authentic Parenting and MudpieMama to find out how you can participate in the next Authentic Parenting Blog Carnival!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:
(This list will be live and updated by afternoon January 27 with all the carnival links.)

Becoming Intentional with My Time Valerie at Momma in Progress shares the beginning of her year-long journey toward more intentional living.
Alirik’s Birth Story: Sweet Surprise Lauren at Hobo Mama tells the sweet surprise unassisted home water birth story of her second child.
My Rebirth: An Honest Look Darcel at The Mahogany Way talks a little about some of the fear and insecurity she's felt over the years since starting her parenting journey and her blog.
Trusting My Body: Ailia’s Birth Story After a very challenging birth with her son, Dionna at Code Name: Mama was nervous about having another natural birth. But practicing relaxation techniques and birth affirmations proved to be just what she needed to have her perfect, peaceful, unassisted homebirth.
My Homeschool Philosophy Paige a Bay Dust Diaries shares her new year's resulution about homeschooling.
Yet Another Resolutions Post... Zen mummy's resolutions for a better 2012
Renewing Green Passions in the New Year Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction talks about renewing a passion for green living in the new year
Birthing and New Beginnings... And Better Mothering Sheila at A Living Family shares her first ever New Year's resolutions to be a more mindful, compassionate and respectful mother to her two-year old daughter after the recent birth of her son.
An Open Letter to MTV Regarding 16 and Pregnant Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama delivers a pointed message to MTV about how they misrepresent birth and parenthood on 16 and Pregnant.
Setting Intentions Megan at The Other Baby Blog shares another way to ring in the New Year.
Spencer's Birth Story Momma Jorje shares her family's story of birthing her son with Down syndrome.
Looking Forward, Looking Back Erica @ ChildOrganics shares how she is able to look back at the loss of their daughter and yet move forward with her family at the same time.
Unique unto Itself. Melissa of Vibrant Wanderings has chosen a word for her second child's birth: awareness.
The Unassisted Birth of The LIttle Buddha. Laura at Authentic Parenting shares the birth story of her new baby
Birthing and Resolutions: Keeping Good Things in Motion. MudpieMama shares her VBAC story and why she skipped making resolutions in the traditional way.
The Birth of a New Era by Mandy from Living Peacefully With Children

it's been simple

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:21:00 +0000

This 7yr old of mine has her own style. I'm lovin' that hat on her. She lost another tooth so we're going to the dollar store to spend her tooth fairy money later today.
Not too long ago I was talking about not being able to get a picture of her because she moves so much, and so quickly....now she's always posing and asking me to take her picture.

Dino Toss. This game is so much fun! We were all over shooting at first, but eventually got the hang of it. While we were playing I was thinking that this game teaches physics, very cool.

It's been feeling more like Spring again here in the beach lately. And so we have painted toes. She chose the color and pattern herself.

What else....

more and more coloring and drawing. Ava's little ms sunshine

Samuel and Cars duplos

Pretend play being He-man and She-ra. Me and my brother used to pretend to be them when we were kids too.

Wii play

Eight books at bedtime....not short board books either. Dr Seuss, Disney, Farmers Market and Unicorns to start....then it was an episode of Wild China on Netflix before the girls conked out at after midnight. They almost made it to the end of the episode.

Did you know there were bamboo rats? Also sap is used for making rubber? We talked about the red panda that looks more like a fox, and the black and white panda. Watched them zip across wild rivers to get to the markets. Very interesting stuff. Think will watch another episode or two later this evening after we finish our runs.

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I Am Done With This Winter Already

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:25:00 +0000

We're having a really really really rough winter. The sad part, besides the kids being sick for 2 weeks straight....winter is just now getting started here. One day it's in the 40's, the next it's in the upper 60's, and then down into the 30's. To that I say.... Seriously!?

I'm just so tired, but I can't sleep. That's why I'm here blogging at whatever time in the morning it is. I don't even want to know.....I'll find out when I hit publish.

I'm starting to feel like we'll never fully come out of all this sickness. Kiah seems to be growing out of her asthma as she gets older. Ava and Samuel get hit hard though. The past two days I have literally been across my couch with either both Samuel and Ava on my lap, and Kiah at my side(when she's not into something else around the house) or nursing Samuel while the girls play Wii, or play at the computer.

When they go upstairs I start Brothers & Sisters on Netflix. We've also been doing lots of coloring and drawing lately. I went through and sharpened all of their colored pencils the other day. They were worn way down. Coloring books, workbooks, drawing on plain paper, we're doing it all.

I'm tired of complaining about how tired I am, but I am.... Tired. I took Samuel in to the Dr's today. Well, yesterday....whatever, and they did a chest x-ray to check for pneumonia. His x-ray was clear and they've started him on a controller (Pulmicort) for him to use in his breathing treatments at home. One of my concerns was the amount of steroids he's been getting since last summer/fall. One dose of steroids, and when I say dose, I mean course of treatment over a 4/5 day period is the equivalent to what you're supposed to have over the entire year.

All of that has been going into his little body off and on for the past 6 months or so. I feel so bad for him, and now Ava's getting the respiratory thing Samuel has. Kiah had it too, but it wasn't as severe....she was done the next day.

So, I made my concerns known about how much he's been getting lately, and they finally decided to give him the Pulmicort. The steroid helps with the inflammation and swelling in his lungs and all that so he can breathe, but I'm hoping this controller will help keep us out of the hospital for a very long time. I'm done with ER visits this year. They have all of these triggers.....change in weather, dust, catching a cold, fragrance, foods.

This was supposed to be a one paragraph post. Ha! I really need adult conversation. Can't talk on the phone because every 5 minutes I hear mommy I need.....I want....can you?....mom she's touching me!

In between all of the chaos are moments like this one. Samuel was so fussy that day. He had been sitting in Kiah's lap and then he got back in my lap, she went upstairs to get something and he had a complete melt down. Throwing his little body all over my lap screaming and crying for ya-ya.....she wasn't even gone for a full 60 seconds. She came back down and he reached up for her.I immediately grabbed my camera and smiled so big once this picture came up on my screen. I love this picture. I look at it several times a day.

Reminders that there are moments of peace amidst all the sickness, chaos, and clutter that is my life right now.

I did get some really gooooood news in my email. I was interviewed by Bamboo Magazine last winter! The issue came out today. I thought there would be a little blurb, but I was scrolling across the bottom looking for the page she told me it would be on, and I'm thinking that looks like Samuel. That IS Samuel! I have a two page spread! All I kept saying was Wow....over and over. I'm in there with some pretty great bloggers. That link takes you directly to my page, but be sure to check out the other bloggers, and the rest of the magazine. There's some good stuff in there.

After typing all of this I figured why I can't sleep.....even though I'm dog tired, this is the only time of day or night(depending on where you are)that I have all to myself. Oh, I changed my template. I like it a lot. Think I'll leave it like this for a while.

I'm going to stop now.....but I really am done with this winter.

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a quick hello

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:28:00 +0000

I wanted to pop in while Samuel is napping to say hello....Hello!

This winter has been one sickness after another. Cold, viruses, asthma, fevers....it just keeps going on and on and on. We've been mostly homebound, and I honestly don't see any sign of that changing in the next few days.

There have been days where I wanted to have my own tantrum, and I did just a little the other day. It's feeling like we can't catch a break in so many different areas of our life right now, but we're pluggin' along.

I have a several invites from friends for dinner and/or drinks starting immediately after everyone is back to 100%
I'm so looking forward to that!

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Wordless Wednesday: Play!

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:50:00 +0000

Recovery Mode

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:12:00 +0000

That's what we've been doing since last week sometime. Ava is the only one that didn't catch the virus *knock on wood*

I caught it the day after Samuel. Charles took off work and made sure I was able to rest all day. Sleeping like that was so incredible! Yes, I can say that even though I was sick. Do you know the last time I was able to sleep for more than 4 hours without being woke up by one of the kids, or to check on the kids? Before I had kids!

Then Charles caught it the day before his birthday, so he was sick on his birthday this year. He keeps telling me he got the best present ever...sleep! I'm not one for letting a birthday go by in this family without making a hoopla.
Even though it couldn't be helped, I still feel awful that almost all of us were hit with the virus near and on his birthday. I didn't get to go shopping like I had planned. Even though he insists it's fine, I'm making plans to celebrate his birthday later in the week, since we're all better now.

We've been moving pretty slow the past few days, I think. Maybe I've been moving slow - and Kiah and Samuel are the ones moving as fast as usual. That sounds about right.

Who else recovers with chocolate? I know I'm not the only one!

A failed attempt at organizing....this may be as good as it gets right now.
Missing bins for our storage area. I'm sure the kids have them around the house somewhere, with something in them.

My non-existent cloth diaper storage unit that's holding my wraps, the few cloth diapers I have left, and my crochet bag. And more kids toys in the middle...yea I need to do something about this space. I'll put it on my to do list for this week.

Big thanks to my friend SarahBeth! She gave us this washer for the kids back in the fall of 2010. It was a Christmas present for the kids in 2011.Wish I could say I'm amazed we let it set for a year....but, well, you know how it is.The kids really like it! At least someone is doing laundry around here...

See that book on the bottom left with the girl and the pink/purple cover? Kiah picked it out at the library last week because "it has pictures of girls and talks all about girls" That it does. It's a book about some of the embarrassing things that teenage girls can go through. Farting, Burping, etc...She told me she doesn't want her panties to stick out like that girls. I told her I don't want that either.

See that big book about Electricity right above the one Kiah picked out? Ava picked that one out all by herself. She's still at that stage where she likes to do everything her big sister does. When I told her the book didn't have many pictures she said "that's ok! it has lots of letters"

He wanted more applesauce, and was making a mess all over the floor. Quick and easy fix - grab a blanket!

A glimpse into what recovery can look like in our house.

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Welcome The Mahogany Way Sponsor EarJeans

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:26:00 +0000

I am excited to welcome Tasha LaRae of EarJeans as a sponsor. Her Jewelry is so beautiful, spunky, and creative. You can tell that each piece is crafted with love, and that she truly enjoys what she does.

Some of my favorites are the Statement Earrings from her 365 collection, this beautiful Pink Rose Quartz bracelet, you know how I love pink! And this Earthy Feather Necklace.

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Tell us a little about yourself and what inspired you to start Earjeans.

I am a creative person by nature. My first passion is singing. I've been singing since my childhood and as an adult it has been my career for the past 12 years. About 4 years ago I joined the Hip hop group Arrested Development (Grammy award winning group from the 90's) as the lead female vocalist and newest member of the group. My days have been filled with traveling to many different places around the world while doing what I love, singing! I also started my jewelry business the same year I joined the group (2008) as I wanted an additional avenue of income to sustain me during the "lean" months of the music industry. I started making pieces for my stage performances and then the fans would want my jewelry after the shows! I quickly learned all I could about the jewelry making business including various designing techniques and I jumped in head first. One of the best decisions I ever made.

Singing in Japan

If you had to pick only one piece of jewelry, what would be your favorite?

This is soooo not a fair question, lol! If I could only pick one piece, I would have to say a charm bracelet that my little brother purchased for me as a Christmas gift this past year. It's a chain link bracelet with various charms in the shape of angels, pearls, and crystal beads. He said I was his guardian angel and that's why it bought it for me. I thought it was the cutest thing ever especially since my brother is 12 years old. He's awesome!

What kind of woman does your jewelry speak to?

I believe my jewelry speaks to the woman that is very sure and confident about her character and personality. She embraces everything that makes her unique (flaws and all) and makes no apologies for who she is. Her personal style is a direct reflection of this.

****

I love what I do. For a long time I would dream of pursuing a successful career in music and when I finally took that leap of faith, I discovered new things about myself. I am currently a full time singer and jewelry designer and have been for the past 4 years. It takes courage to step away from what's normal (only working a regular 9-5) into something that you are unsure of and has no guarantees of success. But you are guaranteed to fail if you never try. Don't get me wrong, it is a hard road and you will second guess yourself a lot but your passion to see it's desired end will help see you through until that dream becomes a reality. And it will be worth it all. So if there is something deep inside you that keeps "calling" you, answer your destiny, honey because it won't go away until you do.

See what I mean by beautiful, spunky, and creative? You can also follow Tasha on her Blog, Facebook, and Twitter

Be on the lookout next month for a giveaway from EarJeans.

For information on advertising you can contact me at TheMahoganyWay{at}gmail{dot}com

Stay up to date on the latest happenings. Subscribe to The Mahogany Way. and like my page on Facebook. Are you a Mahogany Mama? Join us at my Community for Mothers of Color. Love to talk birth? Come see me at The Birth Cafe.

the latest happenings

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:54:00 +0000

We had a nasty stomach bug pass through here that started late Monday night, and stretched into the very early morning hours Tuesday. Kiah caught it first, then Samuel, but it seems to have missed Ava. Lets hope it stays that way!
Nothing says motherhood like being covered in vomit seven different times, courtesy of the baby boy.

Everyone seems to be back to their normal selves.....playing, laughing, and exploring. It's rare to find each one doing their own thing. Usually where one is the other is right next to them.

Ava keeps asking me to fix her stuffed animals. I think she picks at the seams so much that she puts holes in them.I can't sew a dress, but I can fix holes on stuffed animals, and clothes.

My friend Erika gave me a bunch of jars, and since I don't do any type of canning right now, I found other uses for them. Keeping Samuel busy putting things in them, and taking them back out has been a big hit.

I sat beside him filling the other jars with the rest of our beads. Then went to check on the girls to see if they needed anything.
Kiah was happily into her Wii game, and Ava was enjoying having the computer all to herself.

I think the next few days will be spent getting back into our groove.
What about you, what's been going on at your end of the world?

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sibling love...it's all good

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:34:00 +0000

Friday we had another day of exceptionally warm temperatures....and I'm not complaining! Fun Forest is quickly becoming one of our favorite parks. The scenery is so nice, all of those tall pine trees shading us, and the wide open field for the kids to run around. A stage that the kids love to sing and dance on.

The kids always make a stop at the wall to find hand prints that fit theirs. After that it's off to play and explore.

Where there's one, the other isn't too far behind.

Kiah had her first Girl Scout Cookie Rally that same evening. Ava was super excited to to attend with her sister. Samuel came too, but he was on my back in a warp the entire time. I even had a few elderly black women come up to me and compliment me on the wrap, and for keeping him so close. We talked about breastfeeding too. I absolutely love hearing from older black women who breastfed their children.

Back to the cookie rally...good times...

I am so proud of Kiah for sharing a part of her scout experience with her sister. She didn't have to. If she had preferred it be just her the two of us like it normally is, that's what I would've done.
She took Ava by the hand and included her in everything.

Since Ava looks like she's five or older, no one questioned if she was a girl scout or not. Ava won a ring toss prize, and Kiah wasn't too happy, but Ava turned around and gave her prize to her sister.

The best and cutest part for me was seeing all the girls in the friendship circle.

I know all parents think this of their children, but I really do have the best kids! I just love them all to pieces.

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the little things

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:14:00 +0000

Charles didn't have to go into work until later in the day, so we decided to take the kids to lunch.
The weather has changed here, and it's been in the 40's or below this week. Oddly enough, today is supposed to be in the 60's. That's Virginia weather for ya.

Samuel in the scarf I made him. Charles said he looked like a little British boy.

The kids were more interested in the passing traffic. Whenever the girls see a car passing another one, they say they're racing. It does seem that way.....people seems to always be in a rush around here.

Kiah started this thing recently called packing up. She grabs one of her purses, fills it with goodies, puts on sunglasses, and then she's all packed up and ready to go. So you know Ava does pretty much whatever her sister does.

Bath time is a nice transition for them after all the exploring they do all day. Do your kids love water play like mine do? I guess they figure since it's too cold for the beach, they can get their water play in at the sink, the table, the kitchen set. I cleaned up so much water off the kitchen/dining room area floor yesterday.

I had to perform surgery on Ava's pink bear. She tore a small hole near the arm. while I was doing that I figured I would put the heart back since that was torn too. Silly me, I didn't ask her first....so when I gave her the newly patched up bear, she melts into tears because she didn't want the heart fixed.

I just looked at her in amazement for a few seconds. Easy fix though, grab the scissors and cut it off. Partially patched bear just the way she wanted it.

Watching Walking With Dinosaurs: Allosaurus. Kiah has really been into these documentaries lately. We have dinosaur flashcards, and the Allosaurus is in that lot. she was very excited to see him come to life on the screen.

There has also been:

a new purchase of More Starfall. It's only $35 for a year, and all three kids are loving it. There's something for everyone. Samuel likes the motion songs most.
Ava enjoys the word machine, and Kiah likes Talking Library.

Also...

coloring
reading
exploring our visual atlas from the library
Wii play
painting

oh, and Kiah has her first cookie rally with the Girl Scouts tonight, exciting!
There's lots more.... but I need to get to the grocery store.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

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Wordless Wednesday: Technology & Bedtime Stories

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:02:00 +0000

Stop by Natural Parents Network for More Wordless Wednesday.

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New Year's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Darcel) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:35:00 +0000

We had temps near 70 yesterday. Growing up in Ohio it was always very cold at this time of year, and we usually had snow.
Kiah has been asking when it's going to snow since November. She says "I wish it could snow like in Ohio" She also says "the leaves fell off the trees, that means it's time for snow" Sorry baby girl. I think the last two years were a freak of nature.

She's not much for wearing a coat anyway, so she enjoyed playing outside off and on yesterday. Ava said it was too cold, and didn't go out until yesterday afternoon, when they went to play with their friend across the street.

We also did a little cleaning up and organizing, but you can't really tell right now. My living room looks like three mini tornadoes came through it.

I should probably go clean that up now.....

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