Gullah Island or BUST!

Family Vacation Time is Here!!!!

Yup! It’s that time of year again. The kids are home from college the home schooled is out for a few days and everyone wants to Go-Go-Go!

What’s a mom to do? I say PULL BACK!  I have wanted to go to Gullah Island for such a long time and now is the perfect time to go. Most of the children are old enough to enjoy a understand the value of going.

If you have ever heard someone from that area of Charleston, Hilton Head, Georgetown and even Fripp Island speak, you hear a accent. It’s what I expect to hear when we visit – the Gullahs/Geehees……

The Gullah are the descendants of slaves who live in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina and Georgia, which includes both the coastal plain and the Sea Islands.

Historically, the Gullah region extended from the Cape Fear area on the coast of North Carolina south to the vicinity of Jacksonville on the coast ofFlorida; but today the Gullah area is confined to the South Carolina and Georgia Lowcountry. The Gullah people and their language are also called Geechee, which some scholars speculate is related to the Ogeechee River near Savannah, Georgia. The term “Geechee” is an emic term used by speakers  “Gullah” is a term that was originally used to designate the language spoken by Gullah and Geechee people, but over time it has become a way for speakers to formally identify both their language and themselves as a distinctive group of people. The Georgia communities further identify themselves as either “Saltwater Geechee” or “Freshwater Geechee” depending on their proximity to the coast.

The Gullah have preserved much of their African linguistic and cultural heritage. They speak an English-based creole language containing many African loanwords and significant influences from African languages in grammar and sentence structure. Properly referred to as “Sea Island Creole,” the Gullah language is related to Jamaican Patois, Barbadian Dialect, Bahamian Dialect, Belizean Creole and the Krio language of Sierra Leone inWest Africa. Gullah storytelling, cuisine, music, folk beliefs, crafts, farming and fishing traditions all exhibit strong influences from West and Central African cultures.

I maybe dating myself when I talk about the Gullah Gullah Island show-But i LOVED it! 

The show stars Ron Daise and Natalie Daise as “Ron” and “Natalie,” along with their fictional children Shaina and James, niece (Vanessa), non-fictional children Simeon and Sara and fictional tadpole, Binyah Binyah Polliwog. The family lived on an island off the coast of South Carolina. (with outdoor shots featuring Beaufort, South Carolina and Fripp Island.) The show was taped and recorded at Nickelodeon Studios in Orlando. Episodes featured singing, dancing, learning and encouraging children in the audience to think about things like healthy eating, telling the truth, and problem solving.

Just think, I grew up in South Carolina, but have never been there. I have even attended college in Charleston, SC (Johnson and Wales University) but never made it there. Gullah Island is known for                       This year, we’ll share this culture with our children. 

By the time we are done touring the island, the kids are gonna think they were born and raised there. Why? Because it’s their past and it’s very true that one should know there past in our to navigate into the future well.

So what are we doing this summer? Culture & education-  I was given, a web page to use. Actually two. I hope they give us the real life times and experiences of Gullah Island.

Till the next lesson,

QC Supermom 

Secrets to financing your child’s summer part1

School summer break coming! Are you ready?

Your children will begin the count down soon. Don’t let them catch you sweating! You have about 6 more weeks till the pressure is on to keep them fed, happy and occupied. Like my mama always said, ” An idle mind is a devils workshop.”  

Pack your lunch in the morning for food savings!

My children also participates in quality summer learning programs. Why? Because it’s their opportunity to learn something new while meeting more kids their age in a controlled environment. It also gives me a little break to catch up on my work.

It’s all about balance and strategy ya’ll.

So, what happens when the good camps are all filled up or out of your price range? Do you go back to your child’s school & ask for referrals or do you tell the kids we’ll pull something together for next year? I say organize one yourself! Yes, I said it! You can host a wonderful summer without annihilating your family budget. All you need is gas money and the internet.

There is no better, more fun way to learn about economics than with a lemonade stand!

Let’s Go!

Never underestimate the power of thinking outside of the box! It’s amazing how many opportunities are missed because of limitations placed on oneself. Here in my city, there are numerous things to do for free.

If you are trying to figure out how or what to feed your child over the break, you have loads of options there too. We garden every spring to help cover the cost of our summer produce. We also prepare our lunch at home before going out for the day, join  food co-ops and enjoy potluck dinners with other moms from my stay at home moms group.

That’s my 2 year old Tehun at Reedy Creek Nature Center.

You can do it! I’ll share details in Wednesday Wow’s post!Till the next break, Take Care.

QC Supermom

(I promised Eaim, to share this with you, enjoy)

Eaim: Do you want to hear a dirty joke?

Me: Sure!  Eaim: I fell in the mud.

Wednesday Wow: Picking up our son from college summer ‘2013

This Mother’s Day will be extra special! My gift came early. We picked it* up yesterday from Hampton Virginia. It was so huge, I had to make space in the entire back half of our mini van. It* is so precious, so incredible and so in-demand!

He’s a sophomore at Hampton University

My number 4 son helping my number 1 get everything packed for home!

It’s my 20 year old son Keithric Jervon Kelly Pressley! Yes, I used every single one of his names. I missed him so and look forward to breaks and vacations from college to have him here with me. (So sue me. I told ya’ll a long time ago, that I was an helicopter mom)

Yes, we cleaned up for the next student! Doesn’t everyone?

I have to come clean. As if you can’t tell, I’m also a doting mom. I’m so proud of him. He has made so many grown up decision and moves this year and have done them all on his own. At times I felt that he should have ran these options by me, his dad, aunts previous coaches  or grandfather, but he didn’t. So far, so good. He finished the year with great grades, looking healthy, and of a peaceful spirit! You can’t ask for anything more. I’m so grateful. 

Here’s my message to those moms thinking bout throwing in the towel with their son. Children are tend to live up to what you believe of them. This boy of mine wasn’t completely terrible. Yet, he gave me plenty of practice on raising his younger four brothers. In middle school I didn’t know what to do with him. I felt that he was  ruined. To me his priorities were out of order and he considered himself above reproach. My husband and I tried EVERYTHING! From enrolling him in a Scared Straight program to changing his diet, to having him volunteer his time to serve the less fortunate. We even used radical strategies that resulted in making other family members raise their eyebrows. But it worked, He is worth it. So right now, if “Lil Jean” driving you bonkers, just find options and use them as needed. Don’t give up on your child. The minute you do, hopelessness steps in and awful things happen. Anything worth having requires work, and if you can put massive energy in the things you truly like, why not put that same energy in your flesh & blood? LOVE Your CHILD to GREATNESS!

My mother’s Day is looking fantastic. Not for the gifts they’ll surly bring, or the hugs I receive, but for the fact that my son is finally getting it. ……Oh yeah, him grabbing the wheel for the long ride home was a treat too! Aaaah, the perks of having a child old enoughto drive. Till the next break, take care! QC Supermom