Mommy and Me

A couple of months ago I found myself back in my old stompin' grounds; Brooklyn, NY. I live in New Jersey now, but I grew up in Brooklyn—the neighborhoods of Flatbush and Bedford Stuyvesant to be specific. I wasn't on location to do much stompin', though—it was the total opposite. I went to Embora Wellness & Movement Studio for a Mommy and Me class.

Who would have thought I'd be there, and with a kid no less! You see, I am admittedly one of those parents who prefer not to have kids in tow—ever. If it's not a family event, the kids don't come. I had such a hard time taking my oldest daughter to ballet last school year because I simply couldn't stand "dragging" her to class. Meanwhile, I was the one dragging; we were always barely making it on time because of my procrastination. Yes, I procrastinate—much more than I'd like to admit. I always end up getting the job done, but I've learned that some of the joy gets lost when I'm rushing.

So, I've made yet another life-changing vow to slow down and smell the roses. The most beautiful roses in my garden are my kids and before I know it, they will be all grown up. OK. Enough talking, right? What am I actually doing? Well, I'm doing weekly (OK, OK, bi-weekly) craft projects, outings, and plain ole spending quality time with my kids. My trip to Embora for its Mommy and Me class fit right into the plan.

My daughter and I got there just in time for her to go to the African-dance-for-kids portion of the day. I was whisked away to a separate studio to enjoy fellowship with other mothers. There was a glass wall between the studios and I could do a visual check on my daughter if I wanted to. I checked a couple of times, but I was more intrigued by the sistah-girl energy brewing in the room I was in. A medley of women of color was in attendance and we shared resources, laughs and...well...just a few kid stories.

The next activity included mother and child. Several parents and children sat on mats and learned yoga poses and breathing exercises. "Playing" on the floor with my daughter was a refreshing sensation. For a few hours that day, we got to totally enjoy each other—kind of like it was six years ago in the birthing suite. My daughter finally had me all to herself again! No longer did she have wait in line for her turn for tickles, airplane rides or adventures riding on my back. She was not one of four children that day. She was completely herself.

And of course when we got home, she, with a vengeance let her siblings know that "today was all about Mommy and MEEEEEEEE!"

Wilma Ann Anderson is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-founder of Mahogany Baby. She's also an accomplished singer, and works as a model and film executive. This mother of four has freelanced for ESSENCE and Working Mother magazines, enjoys crafting, and is based in New Jersey.