I wrote the following as a guest post for another blog several months ago. It was never published there, so I wanted to share it here instead. Before our kids came to live with us, they were raised by a wonderful foster family. At the time, my daughter had very long hair and her fosterContinue reading “How to Braid Blond Hair”
Category Archives: Living in Detroit
Why My Kids Go to a Primarily Black School
Originally posted on Ashleigh Carroll:
Most people know that our kids go to Downtown Elementary, which is a public school here in Memphis that happens to have mostly black students enrolled. This is not an accident. My journey started when John suggested we submit an application for Jac to go to Perea Preschool, which is…
This Week in Detroit
The “beach” at Campus Martius The Detroit Riverfront
The Unrealized Dream
Thanks to their teachers, both of my kids are familiar with Martin Luther King Jr, what he worked for, and the things he said. A few days ago, BE told us that Dr. King’s dream had come true based on this part of his “I Have a Dream” speech: “… little black boys and blackContinue reading “The Unrealized Dream”
Why School Diversity is Important
As Detroit Public School (DPS) students, my kids are a racial minority. However, DPS does have more diversity than most people realize, making it about as racially diverse as the surrounding suburbs. However, my kids’ school (and I suspect other DPS schools as well) have an upper hand when it comes to socioeconomic diversity. InContinue reading “Why School Diversity is Important”
Diversity in Detroit
I won’t pretend that Detroit Public Schools (DPS) are diverse, although they’re just about as diverse as most of the suburban schools. It seems to me that there is a general, unspoken agreement about which of the two is better, but that’s a complicated topic for another post (if I’m ever brave enough to tackleContinue reading “Diversity in Detroit”
It’s Fun to Stay at the Boll Family YMCA
The Boll Family YMCA in Downtown Detroit is beautiful. BE participates in Girls on the Run there and both kids attend the Y’s school break camps. BE was really nervous when I first signed her up for winter break camp. It took a while, but now she really loves going. BC enjoys it as well.Continue reading “It’s Fun to Stay at the Boll Family YMCA”
Wayne State Weekend School of Music
A lot of people are surprised to find out about all the great resources for kids in Detroit. One of my new favorites in the Wayne State University Weekend School of Music. It’s one of those “hidden gems,” and I only found out about it thanks to an old coworker whose own children had attended.Continue reading “Wayne State Weekend School of Music”
Girls (on the Run) Just Wanna Have Fun
Meet the newest poster girl for Girls on the Run: What’s Girls on the Run, you ask? It’s a program for young girls focused on physical activity and character development. Throughout the “season,” the girls train in teams for a 5K while completing self-esteem. building activities. I’ve been dying for BE to be old enoughContinue reading “Girls (on the Run) Just Wanna Have Fun”
An Afternoon at Belle Isle
Since we moved to Detroit, we’re fortunate to live just a few minutes from Belle Isle. With some money, the park could be really beautiful, but even with out it, Belle Isle is a great place to visit. On Sunday, we had 50 degree weather here in southeast Michigan, which is a real heat waveContinue reading “An Afternoon at Belle Isle”
Shannon Mackie 