Just last night, I layed on the couch next to Mr. President #1 watching the Olympics. I allowed him to stay up way after his bedtime, because he and his father are big Usain Bolt fans and wanted to watch him race. Immediately following the men's 200-meter semi-finals was the finals for the women's 100-meter hurdles...the race I had been waiting for! Why, you ask? When I learned about the three black, American girls who qualified for the finals, I just couldn't miss this one. I sat on the edge of my seat with Mr. President #1 to watch those three black girls fly through those hurdles, and just like I had imagined, they swept the race! Gold, silver, and bronze; they won them all!
I jumped up on my feet and tears literally started rolling down my eyes. Mr. President #1 looked at me and said, "Are you okay, Mommy?" But I couldn't even answer him because I was just afflicted and overwrought with emotion. What happened to me y'all? Why was I standing there in front of the television crying like a big 'ol baby. If you haven't figured it out yet, I'll let you in on a little secret...black, American girls didn't just show up at the Olympics in Rio, but they showed OUT and SLAYED! You hear me [like my Mississippi-raised great-grandmother used to say]? Black girls were breaking records left and right, and America aught to be proud! As as a black girl from the US, I have to admit I am feeling some type of way about black girls dominating the Olympics, and it is nothing short of gratifying. While the rest of America [or the rest of the world for that matter], is growing accustomed to seeing images and videos of black women and mothers mourning and pleading for help over the unexplained deaths of their sons and daughters, and sisters and brothers, these black, American girls in the Olympics are shaking things up and showing another side of black women. Simone Biles, Simone Manuel, and Tori Bowie (just to name a few), are showing the world what it's like for a black girl to rejoice in happiness, in success, in accomplishments, and without fear. That's why I stood in front of the television crying like a baby. I want to congratulate each and every athlete who represented at the Olympics this year. But more importantly, I want to thank every single one of those black, American, female athletes who came to Rio and SLAYED! Thank you for representing all of us. Thank you for showing all of those little black girls out there who are on the verge of succumbing to less than fulfilling notions of society about what kind of future they are going to have, that the sky is the limit! Who cares what your hair looks like! Who cares whether or not you can slick your strands back into a ponytail like Shawn Johnson! Thank you for teaching other little black girls to never be discouraged because of what they look like. I hope I live to see the day when we are taught to live to BECOME something, not live to OVERCOME something. Because of you, I feel one step further to that brighter future. Because of you, I can look at how beautifully my children are growing and be happy instead of riddled with fear. In the words of the great Guy Carawan (in one of the greatest civil-rights anthems), "Deep in my heart, I do believe, that we shall overcome one day." Way to go, team USA!!
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"MOMMY, I NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW," were the first words I heard when I answered the telephone at work yesterday. Mr. President #1 had called to tell me his tooth was loose and that he needed to see the dentist right away to have it extracted. I know what you're thinking, but you might remember that Mr. President #1's first visit from the TRUTH Fairy was a little out of the ordinary. The first tooth he lost did not fall out on its own, but was extracted in the hospital while he was sedated after an epic, failed attempt to extract the tooth while he was awake at the dentist's office. Because of this, Mr. President #1 thinks every time he has a loose tooth, the dentist has to take it out and put "needles in his mouth." As fate would have it, once again, his adult tooth beat his baby tooth to the punch. Mr. President #1 has another adult tooth coming in while that second loose baby tooth is steadily hanging on. We had some conversations with Yammy, Poppy, and Auntie F. last night about some old-fashioned ways to get that baby tooth out, but Mr. President #1 decided he'll keep wiggling it for a few more days in hopes that it will fall out while he is asleep. Asleep??? Yea...that scares the BAJEEZUS out of me too! I don't want him choking on that thing! Long story short--last night when we were getting ready for bed, we were still talking about that darn tooth! We went over the rules for the TRUTH Fairy once again, and in case you can't remember, here is a refresher for you: 1. All little boys and girls must sleep in their own beds in order for the Tooth fairy to come; 2. All teeth must be placed under the pillow; 3. All teeth placed under the pillow will be collected from the tooth fairy and exchanged for money; 4. There will be NO COMPLAINTS about what was left under the pillow by the tooth fairy; 5. All money left by the tooth fairy will be saved and placed in the piggy bank; 6. A thank you note must be written and left under the pillow for the tooth fairy to collect the day after receiving money for a tooth. Oh...and we decided to name the tooth fairy the TRUTH fairy because we have established some "truths" about where the money will go, and who the mystical creature really is (wink, wink). The whole "sleeping in your own bed" idea has been a bit of an issue in our house as of late. Hubby and I are literally falling asleep on the floor in the President's bedroom because they're afraid to fall asleep without us. Not only that, but Mr. President #1 and Mr. President #2 are conveniently finding their way into our bedroom in the middle of the night and making themselves comfortable. I'm too tired to roll over at three o'clock in the morning, let alone move a 40lb child, so I leave them right where they are. Considering this whole situation, Mr. President #1 was afraid the TRUTH Fairy wouldn't be able to find him if his tooth fell out while he was asleep, so he came up with the brilliant idea of leaving a note so there would be no confusion about where his tooth was, or where to leave his money. This kid amazes me sometimes, haha. Before bed, we sat down and came up with a message to leave on a paper on his bed. Mr. President #1 wrote the entire message on his own. In case you're not able to read his writing, the message says: Dear Tooth Fairy, If my tooth comes out tonight, I will be in my mom's bed. -Franklyn The tooth didn't come out last night (thank God!!!!!), but I have agreed to let Mr. President #1 keep the note on his bed every night until his tooth comes out. I know he's planning to make his way into my bed when he wakes up at three o'clock in the morning, but that's okay. Pretty soon he'll be too cool to hang out with me, so I'll take the crowded bed for now.
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