PS- Must be local..in the Los Angeles area.

Many thanks..

WeWe Team

The pretty and fun ankara fabrics and adire (tie dye) carefully selected, designed by Creative Director, Folake Kuye Huntoon. “It’s all about the kids having fun and being free spirited. Their clothes should always compliment their feelings”, she said.

We’ll keep you updated every step of the way until we launch the Ijinle collection in a few weeks. We are currently in Production, well, finalizing the patterns, so stay tuned, Lovers!

Cheers,

WeWe Team

A big thank you to Dr. Jay Goldberg who delivered Ameenah (and Zurhi, too). Thank you to the team at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. What a fantastic hospital and workers.

Now that I got all of my shoutouts out of the way, I’d like to share my exit with you all. It’s nothing sophisticated - lol.

Here is the conversation that took place…

Nurse: “So, congratulations again and see you next time, right?”

Greg & I: Oh, for sure! Absolutely! We’ll be back with #4…hehehe.”

Nurse: “Alright, mom your wheelchair is right outside the door.”

Me: “Wheelchair? I’m rolling outta here in a wheelchair…oh noooooo. I’m OK! Trust me, I’m OK to walk.”

Nurse: “No ma’am. Sorry, it’s the hospital protocol. Don’t your remember from the last time?”

Me: “No!”

Greg: “Don’t worry, honey, the paparazzis are not outside yet.”

Me: “They are not???” Dumbfounded.

Greg: “No hon, we didn’t call them yet.”

Me: “Shoot! Well, you never know. To be safe, I’ll put on my big glasses, hold on to my fancy bag and still go ahead and exit in style.”

Nurse: “Uhm…maam, No. You need to carry the baby on your lap.”

Me: “I do? Shoot! So, who carries my bag?”

Aunt Em: “I will take it.”

All of this drama to find out that we were parked in a gated, roofed, secured, valet parking lot, and didn’t run into a soul. Not even patients or visitors. Lol. No one noticed us. We exited quietly, and with no hassle. If you haven’t noticed, I’m a drama queen!

Stay fab, lovelies.

Well, the madness didn’t stop there. A lot of moms actually took it personal and apparently kept sending tweets to express their anger. Can folks seriously relax?

“@JoelMadden as a mother, thats pretty uncool. if she does it to another kid, or if another kid does it to her and makes her bleed…”

“@JoelMadden how you gonna feel?”

“@J0di well jodi, teach your kid to bite and then we will have to see….”

“@JoelMadden my daughter is 20, lets go…. first one to bitch loses.”

Joel finally left it at this:

“For all the moms who r givin me shit about the harlow biting thing, i hope she bites your kid at school. RELAX.”

Then @j0di now claimed that she was joking with this response..

“@JoelMadden I wasn’t being a bitch about it, hope u know I was half joking, but us moms have been thru it before, its a pain to deal with”

I personally thought it was funny. Joel’s jokes are somewhat witty on twitter, and when you are limited to 140 characters to update your status, you kinda have to be creative, or write in codes. So, I’m sure there was more to the whole teaching Harlow how to bite incident, but he couldn’t go into details.

And even if that isn’t the case, who’s business is it? It’s his daughter, it’s his girl, why are people getting upset? I’m confused. It’s all in good fun and I just wish that people will stop taking themselves too seriously. It seems like everyone feels the need to speak up these days and let their voice be heard.

What do you moms and dads think? Is Joel in the wrong? Is there a need for him to be crucified here?

“In the new issue of Us Weekly (on newsstands Wednesday), five people close to the situation - including two relatives of the other woman - confirm that Jon & Kate Plus 8 dad Jon Gosselin, 32, has been having an affair with third grade school teacher Deanna Hummel.

The most explosive blow-by-blow details are revealed by Deanna’s older brother - and roommate - Jason, who tells Us Weekly that he is speaking out now to set the record straight and to protect his naive sister.”

“At the Hummel house, Jason says Deanna and Jon would “pretty much stay locked away like two teenagers. It was weird. He’s a grown man. He also adds, “A lot of the time, it was pretty, um, gross listening to her, you know, um — how do I say this? The walls are thin. Let’s just say that. I mean, no one wants to hear his sister having sex, let alone with a married dude who’s, like, almost twice her age and who has eight kids and a maybe-crazy wife. Ick. Nast.”

03/25/09 FOLLOW UP UPDATE:

If you watched the season finale of “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” you’d notice that it still leaves viewers wondering about the infidelity rumors. Granted, it addressed the fact that they are having problems, and Jon having issues about being in the spotlight *blank stare.* This is coming a little too late…don’t ya think? The show is going on its 5th season. Which means he has been in the spotlight for the last 4years.

After they’ve banked dollars, gained exposure, and received numerous gifts, he is now having a problem with the spotlight? Please!

They admitted to being in an “odd place” right now in their union, but what does that mean? This statement only fuels the infidelity rumors. It does not eradicate it. It is obvious that they are having marital problems, which is truly sad. I can’t begin to fathom what life would be like for Kate if he leaves her with 8 kids. And 6 of them are toddlers…

Makes me wonder why Jon went to stay at his mother’s house in one of the episodes. He was gone for a while and Kate was left to cater for the kids herself. They did say he went to assist his mom, who broke her foot, but come on? Who leaves his wife and 8 kids for that long to cater to his mom that is only suffering from a broken foot? Sorry, mother.

Something tells me it has to do with my previous post.

Jon had this to say at the end of the interview, “I’m glad the show is popular, but it’s hard being on this side of the camera - and then trying to live your life. We don’t have privacy at all. When I go out, people photograph me. It’s tough for me. I can’t just be Jon; I have to be ‘Jon & Kate Plus 8,’ which is a really hard thing for me. I’m still coming to grips with that.”

Sigh! Life must be so rough, Jon. The fame is so intruding that the solution to that is sticking your tongue down a college girl’s throat, eh? Got it! Like I said before, I like Jon, loved him on the show. But no excuses for infidelity. Especially not the lame excuses about fame.

I really wish them well and hope that they can some how resolve this amicably. It doesn’t look like they are on the same page as far as the fame and fortune. Kate is enjoying it, including the perks, but Jon? Not so much..supposedly. Why did you sign up for it then? Or better yet, why not terminate the contract?

As Jon left it…”And there’s the conflict.” Kate is “very happy,” he is not.

I wish them the best!

Was she referring to Skid Row or anywhere the homeless gathered as “the district of public failure”? Because some of these people didn’t choose to be homeless. Condition subjected them there - conditions such as: unemployment, high rent and the extreme cost of living, runaway teens, drug addicts, alcoholism, to mention a few; therefore, we can’t knock them collectively.

I remember when I first moved to California. I thought, how ironic that California housed the richest people in the entertainment industry, and also seem to have the highest population of homeless. I was shocked to see that this is a huge problem in every major city in California: Hollywood, San Francisco, Venice, Ventura, Santa Monica, and San Diego to name some of the cities. They are everywhere. I have never seen anything like that before. Believe it or not, California is the homeless capital of America.

Coming from the East Coast, you only see them in certain cities/places. You’d seriously have to drive a distance to come across them. Not saying that the percentage is not high on the East Coast, but wondering if the government provides enough shelters to accommodate them, so they don’t have to be on the street. And if that’s the case, why California, one of the richest states, is not on board with this? Did it get out of hand? The demand for shelters and programs to assist them far exceeded the amount of homeless in each city?

Seriously, what are they doing to help? Where are the celebrities to the rescue? I feel like they, the celebrities, that is, are quick to jumping into assisting televised and publicized non-profits. So the masses can give them a pat on the back and they can be recognized for doing “charity” work or helping other Countries, yet, right under their nose, is a person like them that tried to “make it” in the industry, but luck was not on his/her side, or the stress of keeping up with the constant increase in mortgage or rent, the recession, whatever it is..little attention or effort is paid.

In my opinion, I think a lot of churches and non-celebrity non-profit groups, regular working citizens, do more work in helping and assisting the homeless groups.

If anything, most of these rich cities, like Beverly Hills and the like, put a lot of money into fighting against the homeless (who can’t fight back), making sure that laws are enacted to keep them away. Can we put these monies into good use? You know, like building more shelters? Programs that will reform and not add to the problem that already exists?

For me, what is making this more aghast, is the number of babies and kids you see on the streets. Poor innocent babies who didn’t ask to be brought into this, but are in it due to the factors I mentioned above. And even if their parents are fighting hard to get them out of that situation, the truth of the matter is that it is extremely difficult to recover from being homeless (if they want to).

How do you begin to recover? How do you get a job if you don’t have the proper attire for an interview, you don’t have the money to look presentable, money for transportation, access to a phone or computer, and all those little things that we don’t pay attention to. (Sidenote: read up on what Google has done with their GrandCentral service in San Francisco about this.)

Even if you do find a job, and you are on the track of getting a roof on your head, now you have to come up with the first month’s rent, the last month’s rent and security deposit. Let’s not forget about credit checks. Most give up during the process and just go back to living in the streets, shelters or their cars.

Besides, shelters can only do so much. Shelters, to my understanding, only allow for temporarily living. You can’t make it your permanent home. That being said, what sort of programs do they have at shelters to help get these people back on their feet?

The current recession has made it far worse. More and more people loosing their jobs, and ending up in the streets. My husband recently saw a lady standing on the side of the road just outside Beverly Hills with a sign reading: “Ex-Studio Exec, now homeless. Please help.”

Crime rate is way high and everyone is fighting and doing whatever to survive. Yet, the rich are getting richer. You can’t ignore reading the tabloids and seeing one celebrity or the other buying a new $10million mansion, a convertible Bentley, or simply spending money lavishly. Do we all see anything wrong with this picture? I’m not here to tell anyone how to spend their money, however, I am going to end with this:

Put yourself in their shoes. Imagine that you were homeless and sleeping in the streets when it’s negative 5degress outside, or it’s pouring rain, or it’s 110 degrees hot. You have nothing to eat, nothing to drink. You have no way of survival. You are dying slowly. You have health problems. You live in fear of someone attacking you or raping you. Even further, you are living with your child(ren) in the street. You are watching your child die of hunger, dying of thirst, waste away slowly. Or God forbid, someone rapes or attacks your child. Would you want someone to come to your aid? If your answer is yes, then I suppose you have something to think about.

We are so quick to give our compassion for areas of the world ravaged by extreme poverty and hunger, or by catastrophic devastation (read: Niger, Kenya, or Thailand in the wake of the Tsunami). But what do we do for our countrymen? Wherever you live or call home, shouldn’t the help start from there? Our brothers and sisters living in desperation, unclear of how they are going to survive the day and night. They require our attention. They need our love and compassion as well.

Stay blessed!

I am going to be as real as it gets on this post. And it’s either you take it, or leave it. If you can’t bear to handle the truth, don’t care to read, then please, click and surf away. As always, if my post can help just one person (as I know it does from my inbox messages), then my work is worthwhile.

I am in no way, in an abusive relationship. I am blessed with a beautiful man and lovely kids, however, I am going to include myself in this post. I will talk generally as a woman addressing all women in this situation, as I am in no way better, bigger, smarter, stronger or brighter than anyone of you. And most importantly, I am fighting for a cause.

That being said, I am amazed at how often women stay in an abusive relationship, why we don’t walk away the first time, or why we make excuses…convincing ourselves that being in a violent relationship is OK and will get better with time.

How does an argument between two people, that claim to love or to be in love with one another, quickly wind up in violence? How do you look at your girlfriend, wife, mother of your child(ren) and punch her in the face, beat her mercilessly, call her names, and then want/try to be intimate with her again and again? How is that possible? What sort of satisfaction can you possibly get from physically, verbally, mentally or emotionally abusing your loved one, this person you supposedly cherish?

This is yet another way for men to establish control over their spouse. By trying to create power through fear and intimidation.

Think about how many violent relationships result in murder. Either the man beats his wife/partner until she takes her last breath or the victim snaps one day and kills the man. Either way, relationships of this sort never end well. Why can’t we walk away or seek help? Why do we keep going back (if we leave) to this kind of relationship?

Is there a deeper biological behavior at the root? Is it low self-esteem? Is it fear? Is it because the man tells us that no-one else wants us and we’ll never find love outside him? Is it fear of being a single mom? Is it what your culture promotes? Is it growing up in an abusive household, as women tend to date/marry their father’s kind!?

What? We can surely do better!

In my opinion, this is a serious case of co-dependent behavior.

This is very similar to being addicted to drugs in a way. You know it’s bad for you, yet it gives you this temporary high. This roller-coaster feeling. There are good times, and there are bad times. We know deep down inside that we should never succumb to a man hitting or hurting us. We break up, move out, he comes back begging (knowing fully well that he has you wrapped around his pinky) and we go back to him. Thinking, this time, he’ll change. The relationship will be better. But it gets worse because the ugly truth is domestic abuse escalates over time.

We won’t actually change until the pain of remaining the same is greater than the pain of change. It is the fear of the unknown and the pain of change that are our greatest enemies and most formidable obstacles.

It is so hard for women to reach out. It is such a huge step. Some women view it as shameful. We end up with a black eye, bruises, cuts, and broken bones yet again. Scars all over our bodies. We make one excuse after another like “I fell off the stairs”, “I just want to make my marriage work”, “The kids need their father”, “I got bit by the dog”, etc.

Women, c’mon!

We are so much stronger than we give ourselves credit for, and in most cases, it’s about tapping into that inner strength of ours and finding the courage to move on. But until we do, the cycle will continue to repeat itself. It will never change.

This brings me to the case of Chris Brown and Rihanna. Reading one blog to another, some men made comments like “she was too envious and possessive,” etc. And? She deserved to be beaten because of that? Now, they are back together, and there are talks about them making music together, and possibly getting married. How disturbing is this? What kind of message is this sending to the younger generation of men and women that look up to these two stars? Why couldn’t she seek help, counseling and speak up on the incident, letting her fans know that violence is never to be reckoned with?

Oprah Winfrey put out a statement via video stating that she’d be dedicating an entire show next week to “domestic violence,” and focusing more on the younger generation. That is how serious this has become. She also said the following: “He will hit you again!! Give it some time, get yourself some counseling, If a man hits you once, he will hit you again.”

Donald Trump even had this to say “She better get the hell out.  If she goes back, she’s a loser, and she doesn’t deserve to have any future success.”

Perhaps what’s needed more than anything else, is the supportive community of other women who’ve gone through this before. Find solace in knowing that there are tons of women who’ve faced the same demons and are now living happy, wholly useful lives free of violence and repetitious assault. Whether you are in a relationship, or have broken free of the cycle, there are people out there that need you. As recovering alcoholics need to keep passing their message of sobriety to one another to stay sober, we can help each other the same by sharing our stories and strength with each other.

My lovely ladies, I can’t scream this enough. Talk to someone, seek help. You owe this to yourself. You are beautiful, strong, and empowered. Free yourself from abuse, and remember this, “freedom breeds more freedom.”

Stay blessed!

“In the new issue of Us Weekly (on newsstands Wednesday), five people close to the situation - including two relatives of the other woman - confirm that Jon & Kate Plus 8 dad Jon Gosselin, 32, has been having an affair with third grade school teacher Deanna Hummel.

The most explosive blow-by-blow details are revealed by Deanna’s older brother - and roommate - Jason, who tells Us Weekly that he is speaking out now to set the record straight and to protect his naive sister.”

“At the Hummel house, Jason says Deanna and Jon would “pretty much stay locked away like two teenagers. It was weird. He’s a grown man. He also adds, “A lot of the time, it was pretty, um, gross listening to her, you know, um — how do I say this? The walls are thin. Let’s just say that. I mean, no one wants to hear his sister having sex, let alone with a married dude who’s, like, almost twice her age and who has eight kids and a maybe-crazy wife. Ick. Nast.”

ORIGINAL POST:

What’s this I’m hearing that the calm, cool, chilled, quiet Jon Gosselin is cheating on his wife with some college girls? Specifically, some ladies on a volley ball team in a local college in PA. According to media, he has been going out night, after night, hanging at sport bars and getting drunk. In some cases, playing beer pong with these ladies. Hmm…

I remember when the show first aired. My family & I were glued to the TV. In fact, we had the show Tivo’d because we didn’t want to miss an episode. This was going to be our “guilty pleasure,” a “new obsession.” We were looking forward to enjoying the show because they seemed like a young couple, and we thought, “Holy cow! Eight kids under the age of five? That’s insane!” I definitely wanted to see the craziness and chaos unravel.

That excitement quickly fizzled for me. A few shows into the first season, and Kate started to get on my last nerves. It was a bitter-sweet feeling because I really enjoyed watching the kids. They were a crack up. I adored the kids. They were so fun to watch and just too cute. Jon? He was super cool and laid back too.

However, Kate was just a constant disrespect to her husband. In my opinion.

She’d cut him off when it was his time to talk. Constantly yell at him, and was just plain rude and nasty to him. She publicly humiliated this man. To me, Kate completely came off as this control freak that had to have the last word, and was always right. Darn, was that harsh? Sorry, Kate. I’m sure the whole show is scripted *wink* *wink.* In any case, that rubbed me the wrong way, and I lost interest.

So, when this infidelity news surfaced, I was shocked! Quiet, calm, naive, passive Jon…cheating? That can’t be possible. Never! But you know, at the same token, I don’t put this past him or anyone for that matter. As shocking as it may seem, I have heard that the quiet ones are the deadliest. I am, by no means, validating this story. It could be a rumor for all I know. Neither Jon nor Kate have issued a public statement, so I am just basing this on good ol’ internet news.

Whether I liked Kate on the show or not, no one deserves to be cheated on. No one! Whether you don’t have any kids, have eight kids, or seventeen kids. It is completely cowardly. I can’t help but to be puzzled and wonder what could have driven Jon to this. Is he stressed? Did he finally hit a wall? Does he just want to be normal without living his life in front of the camera? Is he not getting laid? Does he now want a “trophy” girlfriend/wife? What?

I still don’t think any of the potential reasons above suffice. If anything, he should have confronted his wife, and they should have amicably split or sorted it out. Hurting the person you love(d) and the mother of your 8 kids in such manner is simply immature (I use the word “immature”, for the sake of being respectful).

But women get this more when it comes to child bearing, however, men have biological clocks too, and it’s ticking as I write. As a matter of fact, as men get older, they face an increased risk of fathering children with abnormalities.

In any case, the minute a woman is seen with a guy, they are asked “so when is the big day?” God forbid you are around your married friends - because they are married, they turn to you to ask you when you are getting hitched too, or try to give you this corny speech/advice about you settling down and why you should. Oh, and forget it if they have kids, then they either suggest that you are next, or ask (with pressure), “So are you guys having kids? When are are you having kids?”

I noticed that as we are getting older, and we hang out around people or friends in our age group, this sort of topic never fails to come up. Is it that people just automatically expect you to walk their walk and talk their talk?

Can we all start understanding that everyone’s path in life is different? And what works for you does not work for the next? Can we start to understand that relationships are not the easiest to come by, and while some may be lucky to find Mr. or Mrs. Right, others have to go through and survive terrible heartaches and relationships?

There are also married/unmarried ones who are in a committed union, but are experiencing child bearing difficulties and don’t necessarily want to discuss it because it is indeed a private matter. Or those that have decided that bringing a baby into this world is certainly not for them, which could either stem from past issues or the fact that they know darn well that they may suck at this thing called parenthood. I have mega respect for these people because I would rather you not bring a child into this world, than bring them in and have no care for them.

Truly, the fact is, these days, you can get pregnant up until the age of 50. Of course, it’s not always medically advisable, but it’s possible. Pay a visit to Los Angeles, and you’ll see beautiful moms just having kids at the age of 40 and over. After all, when it comes to fertility, it is the age of the egg, not the age of the woman that matters most. My point is, it’s not too late for those that long for it. Don’t pay attention to peer pressure or settle for a man just because. Take your time and find the right person who will love you and your kids.

And people, stop pressuring your dear friends or loved ones. Stop bringing it up at family gatherings, get-togethers, etc. just because you have nothing else to talk about, you envy their single status, their union without kids, you are miserable in your relationship, or you are trying to recruit someone else to join the bandwagon. It’s not cool, it scares your friends, and it could be embarrassing. If you are happy in your marriage and it works for you, great! Enjoy it! Concentrate on it.

Don’t ask me why I’m appointing myself as an advocate, but I am.

Friday is here again, so enjoy your short n fab weekend! *Smiles*

Personally, I don’t think you should wait till the court orders you or gets involved before realizing that you have to contribute to the upbringing of your own child. It’s common sense. Besides, if women are always stressing and fighting for equality, then it should apply here as well.

Granted there are tons of deadbeat dads out there, but I also think there are vengeful women out there who try to get a man for everything he has just because the relationship didn’t workout. These type of women screw things up for the women that actually need the necessary support for the upbringing of the kid(s). For heaven sake, there are women that actually quit their day job(s) and solely live on a child support income, or ask for the “dad” to support them for the rest of their lives. Perfect example, 50cent and his “baby mama”, TI and his “baby mama”, athletes, and a host of other celebs and non-celebs that I’m reserving mention of.

I respect any man who would step up to the plate and raise their child(ren). However, on the flip side, I also understand that there are some men who only step up, and act like they are involved in their child’s life because the court is involved. They pretend that they want to 50/50 the responsibilities just so they’d avoid paying child support, or paying a lesser amount. It is all so twisted. And I always feel bad for the kid(s) involved.

Do women really get preferential treatment from the court when the tables are turned around? In some cases, yes. And I also think it depends on the judge. For the most part, they use their discretion. Think of the women who have kids with 3 or more men and actually have all the dads pay child support. There are women out there, who have all these kids because they don’t want to work a day in their life. I am not talking down on women, I am raising this issue because a reader asked for my thoughts and I am stating. I’m simply being honest.

Now, should a woman be imprisoned for not paying child support or owing backed up support? No. Not if they have other kids to take care of at home, or if the child was taken from her against her will.

May be in the end, men need to be more involved in the child(ren) lives. In other to change societal views on them in this particular situation. More women are left with the responsibilities of taking care of the kids than men are. It’s tough enough that women go through the entire 10 months of carrying the baby, and let’s not forget the labor pains. The majority are struggling to raise these kids themselves with no help from the man. Some have to work odd jobs or 2 or more jobs to make ends meet.

Bottom line is: if we want things to be equal, well, they should be equal.

So, there is something new with Zurhi everyday, however, her latest for the past week, is that when she gets hurt, she says, “owie” instead of “ouch.” But the owie is so cute.

She says “owie” and goes round to get a kiss from everyone. You know, you kiss their “boo-boo”. She even runs to Sidney in his room to get that kiss. Now, she does it with every hit. Even if the wind blows her direction, it’s an “owie” Lol.

Well, yesterday, Greg was playing with her in the morning before leaving for work. He lightly tapped her on the butt with his sweater. Of course, she said, “owie”. Greg kissed her a**, she went to Sidney, yes, he kissed it. Then, she runs to me in the living room, pointing to her butt..saying “owie.” I kissed her a** too.

She walks away with a big grin on her face, as if she is saying, YEAH!!! They all kissed my a**…word!

Zurhi (on the right) and her cousin, Maya.

Celebrity WeWe Pieces

Nicole Richie               Kimmy Dress in Sunflower / Sade Dress in Sand / Nikki Tunic in Lime

Lindsay Lohan             Molly Dress in Charcoal / Nikki Tunic in Skin

Ashlee Simpson          Kimmy Dress in Marine / Sade Dress in Forest

Eva Longoria               Molly Dress in Citrus

Tori Spelling                Molly Dress in Citrus / Toks Tunic in Bubblegum

Jessica Simpson         Sade Dress in Sand

Kate Hudson               Kimmy Dress in White Cloud

Jessica Alba                Molly Dress in Kiwi

Marcia Cross              Nikki Tunic in Lime / Toks in Sand

Audrina Patridge (The Hills)   Molly Dress in Charcoal

MEN

Gichi Gamba              Russell Tunic in Frosting

Dani Wooten              Russell Tunic in Moss

I may be missing others because the clothes are in stores. And like I said, WeWe Celeb kids are not included. Hope this helps!

Have a fab weekend!

Sidney truly is a rock-star. Ever since he got “Guitar Hero” for Christmas he’s been walking around the house with the guitar slung over his shoulder. He’s really playing the role of the rockstar to a “T”. One of his many goals is to play in a band someday. He wants to take after his grandpa, Sonny Okosuns (RIP), and I hope and pray that he will. I say rock on! You have the spirit, my son.

My beautiful boy, I hope you enjoy your day today. I’m sure that you’ll have a blast. You have a bunch of surprises coming, and I can’t wait to hear all about everything.

Today is Sidney day! If you see him, wish him a happy, happy birthday! 11 years-old and counting….!!! So hard to believe that my lil’ boy is already 11! What a joy!

Here are a few more photos for good measure:

This picture was taken recently, courtesy of Personal Shopper, Remi Fagbohun (on the left) and moi, on the right. Can you guess what we are talking about? Better yet, for the sake of trivia, can you guess the sex of the baby?

Note: Family members and close friends (you know who you are) are not allowed to participate.

Please bear with us. And while you are out there celebrating, stay safe and enjoy.

By the way, is it just me or is everyone else looking forward to the fashion spread? Afterall, a bunch of designers submitted suggestive sketches of designs they think will be better suited for the Obama family. I’m looking forward to seeing which lucky designer they went with.

Keeping my fingers crossed for Michelle. Hope she picked a fab dress (or several dresses).

I pack the kids, and let Greg worry about him. Because Greg, packing and traveling is an adventure to watch and I will save that for a different blog. I love to pack light, but that’s a bit hard to do with kids, so I have studied the act of packing and now I actually look forward to it.

I make sure everything fits into a medium size suitcase. Sidney has one, and I share with Zurhi, though now I’ll be sharing with Zurhi and the baby on the way. I’m still limited to one suitcase. Here is the trick for the babies; I don’t pack diapers, food, wipes, toys, etc. We buy these things once we get to our destination and only buy enough for our duration of the trip. As long as we have a diaper bag, we can fit food, two toys, a couple of books, diapers and little baby essentials needed for the ride. Their clothes are so little that it doesn’t take that much space.

As for me, yes, I once was the girl that packed 50 pairs of shoes, 10 pairs of jeans, etc. because you know, we can never decide! Now, depending on the season, if it’s hot, I take 3 pairs of stylish and funky flat sandals (at the most 4), they are flat, so doesn’t take as much space as heels. When it’s cold, 2 pairs of boots. One brown, one black or grey.

The less you pack, the less your choices are so you make do with what you have. I take three pairs of jeans, and nice tops & tanks which are about Sidney’s size, so they fit perfect. If it’s cold, I take one leather jacket, and a pea-coat, so I have a choice. Trust me, I get to my destination and I still look funky and you could never tell that I brought a handful of clothes. You have to know what to pack and be very selective.

I put all my jewels in a ziploc bag and I’m good to go. Everything else is minute. Toothbrush, underwear…all fit right in, and that’s it. One suitcase, no stress. I have my purse with me, in which I just put things I need on the plane. Phone, ipod, charger, wallet, etc. In some cases, we don’t pack toiletries. Lotion, shampoo, conditioner, etc., we purchase when we get to our destination. We buy the small or travel size bottles - again, enough for the trip.

I don’t take strollers. I only take car-seats. In addition, these days, you can rent car-seats and strollers when you get to your destination. Did you all know that? Besides, if you do decide to take that with, do check them in to avoid stress for you and your family. The only obstacle now is to train your kids on traveling. You know, not kicking the seat in front of them, keeping quiet and the like? Sidney is a little man, so we don’t worry much. As a matter of fact, he’s pretty independent when it comes to traveling and often likes to sit alone (away from us…lol).

As for Zurhi, we’ve been pretty lucky with her too. I guess she is used to traveling now. However, we are going to have two kids in diapers, under the age of 2.5yrs, so I’m sure traveling will be more of a challenge - but that challenge, we are eager for and ready to face.

What are your thoughts? How do you travel and if you have tips, do share. Have a fab weekend!

it’s totally understandable though, because many of the post thus far have tended a little female. My wife does a good job of talking about general parenthood issues, but things obviously lean a little towards the ladies.

So, I want you to know that I will be posting up here on a regular basis as well. You and I both know that the women aren’t the only one with concerns about how our children are raised. I worry just the same, and spend the same (if not more) time up each night taking my turns with crying babes.

We clean the poop, diapers, barf, food messes, and accidents just the same. And maybe some of you are like me, and you’ve got a little daddy’s girl on your hands. Anyone?

We are not in the 1980’s, and we sure as hell aren’t in the 50’s, anymore.  I sought out a powerful woman, independent and full of her own ideas about how things should be run. So, there’s no shame in raising your flag to identify with other guys out there who shop for their daughters’ (and sons’) clothing, pay attention to the different materials used to make bottles, and monitor toy-recall lists.

If our wives share the load working and earning bread, it follows suit that we lessen their burden with other things that are traditionally the woman’s domain, no?

I mean, don’t get it twisted, my wife still runs my house. When I leave dirty dishes around, I still get shit for it. But, I cook a majority of the meals in our family, do most of the school drop-offs, and do my fair share of changing the shit-diapers. I’m definitely an involved parent, as are most of the dads I know. This isn’t my daddy’s America.

So, guys, dudes, men…whatever monikers you want…please chime in and start to let your voices be heard on this blog. I really want WeWe to have just as much of a male identity. It’s not going to happen just by wishing it…I definitely need your help to make it happen.

So, start now and gimme a comment shout to let me know you’re listening…

I talk to my older sister for hours…until she falls asleep. My brother lives in Nigeria, so it’s hard to communicate because of the time difference, but when we do talk, yes, it’s the same. Even if we are talking about nothing and both doing other things on each end of the phone, I still hang on. I treasure that moment. So as my belly is getting bigger, Zurhi is falling more in love. She loves to play with my belly button because I have an outtie now, and likes to play bubbles on my belly. I have been trying to tell her that there is a baby in there, but I don’t think she gets it. She does point to my belly and say baby, but she also points to hers and says…..BABY! She is starting to point to everyone’s belly and say baby. Even Greg’s. I just hope she does not say it to a fat woman and get slapped. Lol!

I’m hoping she doesn’t feel left out when the baby arrives. I’m worried about her. So far when we are around babies, she loves them and wants to pick them up. She kisses them all the time. When we went to see my bestfriend who had a baby in Boston, she was all over baby Jasmine. Yes, she’d steal the baby’s pacifier and put it in her mouth or climb in her crib and try to stick her finger in her eye, but she loves, loves, loves her and couldn’t stop kissing her. My little man, Sidney, I’m not worried about. He is my Soldier. He says, “bring it on” He’s so ready and talks about how he is going to take care of the little ones and boss them around at the same time.

With Sidney, we have passed the phase where we were worried about the sibling rivalry. I mean..he was the only child for 9.5 years. So when Zurhi came, Greg and I made a pact to  shower Sidney with more attention than ever before. Guess what? He noticed. He called us out on it. He was wondering why everything was all about him and we did whatever he wanted to do. He told us to chill out…he is not a kid anymore. He is a pre-teen. That’s what he calls himself. He’ll be 11 on February 4th.

So Dear Zurhi,

Dad, Sidney & I promise to give you as much attention as you need (even when you don’t need it..i guess). Our love for you will continue to grow and we promise that there is more than enough love to go around. We have faith that you will be the best big sister ever. And no pressure, but this little one is totally looking up to you, so you better be on your best behavior. No more tantrums, waking up in the middle of the night screaming your lungs out, and how do I say this delicately….be prepared to transition from bottle to sippy cup

We love you loads.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the kids of this generation. Do we spoil them? Do we over expose them? What do you think?

During a recent trip to Thailand, I met some amazing people. One day at the local market, I sat with some native kids who had never been on a big bus or a personal car (outside overcrowded local transportation). Let’s not even mention planes. They don’t know what a toilet is. They are not exposed to Western Culture and its conveniences, yet they were some of the happiest people I have ever come across. They were so content, and never think of the what ifs because all they have is what they know.

This is also similar to a trip in Mexico, a couple of years back. When Greg and I travel with or without the kids, we try to stay away from the western world as much as possible. We aim for villages, or the outskirts. We want to be around people that speak little to no English, regardless of whether or not we have a handle on the local tongue.

In Mexico, we stayed in a town called La Bufadora. Very, very beautiful. Little tourism (in comparison to the hotbeds in Ensenada, Rosarito, and Cabo), mostly just native Mexicans. The people there were so kind, so full of life, so welcoming. Again, the kids there, even at young ages were traders, either selling goods to support their family, or running a family business which is short of luxury. The kids wash their own clothes with their bare hands and line-dry them, don’t have money for shoes and walk around with bare feet, and sadly often have to wear the same outfit for days at a time, etc.

There is a saying that “what you don’t know, don’t hurt you,” but I am going to rephrase that by saying “what you don’t know, makes you a happy and content soul.” Compare these kids with kids that Sidney goes to school with. Kids that get dropped off and picked up at school in limousines, kids that carry the latest technology gadgets, wear designer duds, and carry bags like LV, Gucci, Channel and Prada to mention a few.

Mind you, Sidney’s school is K-8 and it’s a public Beverly Hills school. These are public school kids! Private schools are not allowed in Beverly Hills, so if you want your kids to go to a private school, you are going to have to take them out of the city.

I’m at a bit of a crossroads right now, because I grew up in Nigeria where I was content with whatever I had. My family was a bit well off, but my parents never raised us to want or ask. We were raised to give, instead. I had no TV in my room, and I didn’t watch much TV either. So, I was happy and content and didn’t need material things to survive.

Then I came back to the US when I was fifteen and OMG. It was so overwhelming, and has been that way ever since. A couple of things I took with me (from my parents) were: education should always be the main focus, be selective/careful with your choice of friends, and never forget where you came from. Trust me, the easiest thing to do in America is to lose your soul. Don’t get me wrong, America is truly the land of opportunities, and it is a great country, however, it is also…..

With shows like My Sweet Sixteen, True Life, Made, Cribs, all the other MTV shows aimed at this younger generation…I guess it’s just the state of TV in general, but it really makes me wonder and question if I overly expose my kids. Like I said, Sidney goes to school with Kids that live in mansions (homes that have probably been featured in Cribs), bring different cars to school everyday, etc., and he comes home asking if we can upgrade. Live in a bigger house. Drive this car, instead or suggest which car he wants for his 16th birthday (which seems to change every year).

I can’t blame him, he’s a kid. He sees this and deals with it daily. Though we raise him at home to be content, to be a giver, to have manners and all that good stuff, he is still likely want more just like any kid.

All of you who know him know, he’s a darn good kid, too. I couldn’t ask for a better son. My Sidney. But as parents, we do fall into the trap by showering him with TV, games, gadgets, and most of the things he wants to be a kid? Are we to blame? What if we say no each time he asks for something in particular for his birthday/Christmas? Are we to blame? Are we ruining his childhood, or improving it?

I just wonder, what if we packed our belongings and moved to a remote area like a village in Nigeria, or Thailand and raise our kids there, are we depriving them or helping them? (I can imagine the hopeful look on Greg’s face when he reads this for the first time.) Should we have done this when they were babies and could hardly speak? I mean, we are in a situation where Sidney is 10 and 11 years older than his siblings, so if we decide to make this change, Sidney would be negatively affected being pulled from his friends and his school.

But he is such a cool kid that while he is exposed to these things, as he gets older, he doesn’t mind losing it all either. Is he just saying that just because he knows how we feel and we teach him these things, or does he truly mean that deep down in his soul?

I’m going to leave you all with this blog to ponder, and I definitely want you to share your thoughts. We don’t raise our kids alone, it definitely takes an entire village…

One love.

I blog when I can on http://blog.weweclothing.com and it automatically gets delivered to WeWe’s facebook profile page, and our company profile page. I have a following of people, especially moms, that either leave comments when I ask for their opinions, send me topics to blog about or communicate with back and forth via email. I run a business. This is part of the job of being connected with customers, fans, and fashion friends. Don’t hate, please.

I’m opened to opinions, dialogues, and comments. That is exactly why I’m sharing my thoughts; it’s a blog and there’s a comment field specifically for people to open up a stream of discussion about the blog’s topic. If you don’t agree, say it in the blog, just don’t abuse the privilege.

So, please do not call me up or call my family members because of my choice of words. If you feel so strongly about something I wrote, please say it publicly. Call me out to have a discussion. Maybe we’ll all be wiser for it in the end. But if you’re complaining about the things I’m saying, you obviously haven’t received the memo.

I spend majority of my time helping other moms, supporting and promoting non-profits to benefit moms and children, and my blog is also a little corner for moms to breakdown, express themselves and let go. A place where other moms can relate with each other. A lot of women refrain from talking about their situation which leads to postpartum depression. People that know me, know that I speak out on postpartum depression (read my previous blogs), and hope and pray that this blog can help even just one person unload emotions and thoughts that are stuck inside, needing a place to vent. If this can help that one person, all of it is completely worthwhile.

In any case, now that I have cleared the air, I will move on to my daily blog as my health, schedule and work permits. You can continue to send emails to my inbox and I promise to read and respond to all. Sorry if it’s not pronto!

Much love!