Daily Dose of Vitamins

Are you getting your recommended daily dose of vitamins?  According to GenSpec most of us are not getting the correct vitamins not simply because we don't take them, but because we don't take the right ones for our ethnic group.  Yup, that's right, for our ethnic group.  Their premise is based around our ethnic groups: African American, Hispanic and Caucasian.  So, they did what any good capitalist would do, they started a company to benefit from this.  Now, I'm not hating on their hustle and it probably is some truth to it.  I for one did and still do buy into the "Eating for your Blood Type" diet (although I'm not disciplined enough to follow it for longer than a day or two).  However, what I don't buy into is (ethnic groups are so diverse and mixed) that these three formulas will provide all of what I need because my skin is dark.  What happens if someone is 50% black and 50% white?  What if that is their mix and their skin is dark should they get African American?  What happens if they look Caucasian (and to those of you that do not know this happens it does)?  What does my family do since we are Black Hispanics?  I guess if you're Asian you shouldn't go to GenSpec because it doesn't seem like they have figured out what to do with you yet.  

Well, I'm just going to stick with my Dr. Shultze's SuperFoods and regular old vitamins the two have not let me down yet.  Well...except last year when I had the flu and the time before that when I had a cold and when I ... oh, yea...my bad, I stopped taking my vitamins for a year then. Do you think that had anything to do with me being sick?  (Oh, a shout out to one of my favorite blogs lightskinneded girl for highlighting this company first.  I couldn't pass this one up!)

A Week For Friends

So far this week has been a week for friends.  Okay, so I have only seen two friends but that is a lot for me during a week!  You know how we get caught up into our own lives.  One of my friends was in town from Texas for her sorority (Alpha Kappa Alpha...I belong to Me Phi Me) annual conference so I visited with her and her adorable daughter for a few moments.  Victoria is so smart and cute I couldn't believe it.  At 3, she was having a conversation about the cost of gas with me!  Not really but I felt like she could have.  Oh, check out the diaper bag next to me.  That used to be Victoria's but she told me I could have it for Baby I.  How cute is that?  Great bag too.    

I also had dinner with Tracey.  We have been meaning to catch up for ages but this week she had childcare so she put on a skirt, got the "Mommy you look pretty" comment from Amara, and we hit the town!  Not really we just went to our local suburban downtown's swankiest bar and flirted with the bartender (and let him flirt with us more importantly).  We had a great time!  The food was fabulous and so were the drinks.  We laughed, talked about men, kids, careers and men some more.  We felt like we were in NYC...that was until we looked out the window and saw the big DSW sign.  I suggested that they close the drapes for more of the NYC illusion.  Instead, we just decided to turn our backs and have another drink!  LOL  

The night finally had to come to an end because Tracey's get out of jail card was going to expire, I mean she had to go pick up her beautiful loving daughter!  :-)  We laughed and said we must do this again soon and marveled that this time next year I'll be the one who will too be looking for babysitting because Baby I will be home!  Nah...she'll be along for the ride!  I won't want to let her out of my sight...it will be Sushi or Ethiopian for us (only places where kids are allowed)!  

Cleaning House...Still!

Yesterday, I participated in a community yard sale with Laura (no, we didn't take any pictures...silly us).  I had high hopes of cleaning out my house, making lots of money, adding to my adoption fund and making room in the nursery for Baby I. Well, I made about $200.  That is $200 more than I had (as my Mom reminded me hearing my disappointment) and since I just paid for my post adoption placement (you have to pay for this ahead of time with Gladney) on Friday, I can put $200 back into my bank account.  

In the meantime, my living room looks like a tornado hit it!  I refuse to put the items back in Baby I's room or the designated playroom since they are both clear now.  The items are being Freecycled, Goodwilled, Amazoned and Ebayed in the next few weeks.  The older I get the more I realize how much I can't stand stuff!  I want to live a simple life like the Scandinavians do.  Clean lines and a little stuff....%$#! how did I get so much crap????  I swear I have been getting rid of stuff for at least a year and I still have stuff to get rid of.  No more tschokes for me.  They make me itch and make my head hurt!  

Having Kids Makes You Happy?

A recent article in Newsweek talks about the touchy subject of whether or not those that are parents are happier than those that are not.  As I was reading, it wasn't looking good for me. All of my hopes and dreams that Baby I will come home and spread happy juice all over my house and that my life will become happily ever after, the evidence shows...not so much!  DANG!  This is what I learned:

• 50 percent of Americans said that adding new children to the family tends to increase happiness levels
  
• 16 percent said that adding new children had a negative effect on the parents' happiness
  
• Parents don't like to talk about their depression brought on by child-rearing... BLASPHEMY
• Kids were actually worth more in the post-industrial era when they earned their keep...now we just have them for emotional reasons.  I wondered why I used to tell my mother she had me only to do the dishes (hee hee).  Always a day late and dollar short!
• They are expensive to raise in a lifetime: $134,370 to $237,520 (I'm a bargain shopper maybe I can cut that in half), not including college tuition (what about college of hard-knocks...oh, that is free!)
• Parents are stressed with both working two full-time jobs and less support...huh oh, what does this mean for me as a single parent?  LOL
• The National Marriage Project's 2006 "State of Our Unions" report says that parents have significantly lower marital satisfaction than non parents because they experienced more single and child-free years than previous generations...ohhh, now I feel better.  LOL
  

So, the final answer to are parents happier?  Negative.  However, they do feel a greater sense of purpose and meaning in their lives than those that have never had kids!  Happiness is what you make it folks.  I cannot tell a lie, I haven't been the happiest of campers as of late, but is anyone all of the time.  I do know that I'm missing having a sense of purpose in my life.  To know that I am accountable to someone, that I am building a future for someone is scary but it definitely is something that I don't have in my life right now.  Everyday I wake I think about Baby I and know I am ready to be accountable for her.  

What Happens With Too Small Shoes

Remember when your mother told you never wear too small shoes?  I always wondered why and being the shoe fanatic I am I tried to wear them a time or two (they were cute), but guess what?  They hurt!  Luckily I learned my lesson or my feet could have looked like this:  

And what does this have to do with adoption you might ask?  I'm just doing my duty in showing you what your kiddos feet can look like if you don't buy them the right sized shoes.  Although on the plus side, I don't think this woman has to worry about pedicures, toenail polish and her shoes have to be pretty inexpensive.  Oh, I forgot...THANKS MOM!  

An Interesting Month Indeed

Tivo it, DVR it, Watch it!  

July 23rd & 24th CNN Presents: Black in America 

Black Men and Black Women & Family

In this next installment of CNN's Black in America series, Soledad O'Brien examines the successes, struggles and complex issues faced by black men, women and families -- 40 years after the death of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

If you have questions about what it's like to be Black in America check this out then let's have a discussion on the 24th and 25th.  I'm sure this will get to the heart of some very real and touchy subjects but guess what?  Adopting a Black child does that.  This is gonna be good for those of you who wanted something interesting back on my blog...I'm BAAACCCCKKKKK!  So, I hope to see you back here then.  There will be a test on blackness and black family.  Just kidding!  LOL  

Buy it, Read it, Admire it, Save it!

The July Issue of the Italian Vogue  (click on photo story to the left), it has all Black Models! WHAT!!!!!!!!!?????  Ya heard me!  Vogue Italia takes on racial discrimination in its July issue, which features only black models, including Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks, Iman, Pat Cleveland, Alek Wek, Chanel Iman, Jourdan Dunn AND Ethiopian model Liya Kebede.

I know you are wondering what the U.S. issue of Vogue is going to do right?  Well, in July they also do something really tough.  They write an article about discrimination. WHOMP WHOMP.  Now for my sentiments... WHIMPS!!!!!  PUNKS!!!!! COWARDS!!!!  CHUMPS!!!!  #$##!!!!  You get the point!  Good ole’ USA, we are always the last to do something “stand up” when it comes to race!  Why can our beauty be appreciated globally but it is so difficult to be appreciated at home?  What's up with that?  

Everything But the Baby

Last night I went to get a new gym membership at LA Fitness with Laura.  I decided I was tired of  working out at Washington Sports Club (WSC) with myself and it was a little too expensive.  So, since I have a few friends that already work out there I figured this would be a great place to switch too.  You should have seen Laura and I... wheeling and dealing, getting all of the  freebies and perks.  Guess what we even got thrown in?  Two (2) free passes to the Kids club for the life of my membership!  This is worth $20 a month.  At WSC I would have had to pay $2 each time I dropped my kid off so say I worked out 5 times a week (just say I did) that's $40 a month for 1 and $80 for 2.  

So what I don't have a kid yet... I have babysitting at the gym!  I'm starting a nursery and haven't completed my dossier yet...what's your point?!  Should I send you back to my bass ackwards post?  Hello my name is Tami and I'm bass ackwards!  LOL