Thursday, April 16, 2009

MyBrownBaby MOM OF THE WEEK: ANGELOU EZEILO


Okay, let me just put this on out there: When it comes to Angelou Ezeilo, I’ve no power to be impartial. I told you why I absolutely adore my sister-in-law in a “Happy Birthday” post I wrote about her back in December, and this excerpt sums up why bet not nobody say nothin’ bad ‘bout my Angie:

…slowly, steadily, surely, she became the sister I never had—my giggle partner, my retail therapy enabler, the co-president of my “We Love Black Movies Unconditionally—Even the Bad Ones” club, my “girl you ain’t gonna believe this!” confidante, my shoulder to cry on… no questions asked. She wears my shoes; I borrow her purses… she gives me advice on running my own company and coaxes me to get out more—I whip up coconut cakes and 11-cheese macaroni & cheese for her holiday parties and hook up her music collection with Chrisette Michelle and vintage Teena Marie. Our children are the best of friends, as are our husbands… And somehow, we never tire of one another.

Biased as I am, this isn’t why Angelou is the MyBrownBaby Mom of the Week. I picked her in honor of Earth Day 2009, coming up next week. Girlfriend single-handedly made green the new black in our neck of the woods: She’s got us recycling everything in sight, taking two-minute showers to preserve water, unplugging electrical sockets and turning off lights, and downright scared to go grocery shopping without those reusable bags. So dedicated is she to the green movement that she started her own non-profit environmental education program for kids, Greening Youth, which encourages and teaches children how to be stewards of our Earth. Her free—yup, FREE—six-week, hands-on program takes environmental education directly into classrooms throughout Georgia; she’s got those kids playing with worms, planting trees, learning how to pack environmentally friendly lunches, and generally how to harass us parents into respecting and loving what the Lord has made. This Saturday, she’s putting on her very first Earth Day Fun Festival here in Georgia, with five schools participating (if you live in Georgia, come on out—find information about it HERE) in what is sure to be a spectacular, fun-filled event.

Simply put: My sister-in-law/bestie is the w.o.m.a.n. And below are more reasons why she's MyBrownBaby's Mom of the Week!



My name is… Angelou Ezeilo.

I live in… Snellville, GA.

My brown babies are... Miles, age 10, and Cole, age 7.

I make a living… As the Founder and Executive Director of Greening Youth Foundation.

The last time my kids cracked me up… was during spring break at Red Top Mountain State Park. They were both doing a goofy dance on a big rock—where everyone could see them.

The last book I read with my kids was… “Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt,” by Deborah Hopkins.

My favorite place to take them is… to the park. We ride bikes, walk the trails, skip rocks in the lake, and toss around the football while we enjoy nature.

My proudest mom moment was… when both my sons said they want to own their own businesses when they grow up.

My most embarrassing mommy moment was the time when… Miles had to take his sneakers off at a party and his socks where not only dirty but had a big hole in them! You should have seen how fast I got that sneaker back on his stinky feet!

The thing I most want my children to know is… there are no limits in life.

The one family tradition I hope my kids continue when they grow up is… getting together with all of their family members and close friends, not just for special occasions, but just because. We’ll gather everybody at our house for dessert and drinks just because it’s Tuesday!

If I could invent one thing to make being a mom easier, it would be… mommy clones!

The best invention for kids ever is… the trampoline. Ours is a total kid magnet. There isn’t a child who comes into our yard and doesn’t snatch off his/her shoes and bounce around on that thing for hours at a time.

The kid snack I’m most likely to get busted eating is… Jellybeans. Love them!

The most important life lesson I want my kids to learn is… to always think outside of the box and passionately follow their dreams—the money will always follow.

The one thing no one knows about me is… my name was going to be Miriam. Mom? Dad? Really?

The thing I lost as a mom that I wish I could get back is… the ability to be spontaneous.

My “I’d Rather Be…” bumper sticker would say… “I’d rather be in Madagascar!”



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13 comments:

  1. Congrats to you Angelou Ezeilo!

    I respect your passion and commitment to raising our childrens' consciousness; to empower them with the knowledge required to preserve our environment, our future.

    Thank you for helping my ten year old, Chidi, grasp the full implications of taking a 20 minute shower as opposed to a 2 minute shower.

    Thank you. Thank you!! The environment is especially close to my heart because even as I type this comment, Kenya's forest cover has already declined to 7% and continues to do so...

    Kudos and much love to you. You look stunning in that photo!!!! We will come out on Saturday.

    Mama Shujaa.

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  2. Congrats Angelou Ezeilo! I sure need to do better and being green.

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  3. Thank you, Denene for praising our girl as she should be. I love my girl and I'm loving the reusable REI bag she gifted me before hopping back on a plane to Germany! What did Kermit say? "It's ain't easy being green". Well, Ang makes it look easy and chic! So proud of all that she has done and has yet to do! Ericka (a brownbaby-mama-to-be

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  4. She is a gorgeous nature girl. I'm going to post her event on a homeschool ning site I am a member of here in GA. That stinky feet thing cracked me up. Thanks Denene.

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  5. Thank you everyone for your kind words. Heaven knows that I couldn't do any of this without my girl D., my beloved friends and family! For those in the area, hope to see you out on Saturday!!

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  6. Congratulations! I wish there were programs here in Southern California to teach kids more about going green. It really does start when they are young.

    I cracked up over the holey, dirty socks. Timing can be bad but at least he put it back on real fast!

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  7. Such an absolutely darling family, Denene. You two are lucky to be able to call one another not only blogging buddies, but also family. Oh, and the fact that Angelou made "green the new black" totally made me laugh.

    So, tell me. Do you ever feature anyone who does not have brown babies? What about yellow babies? My blogging partners are Asian. :)

    -Francesca

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  8. @Francesca: ABSOLUTELY! MyBrownBaby shines a spotlight on moms of color, and is meant for ALL moms to learn about one another. My absolute goal is to make MyBrownBaby a premiere sight that speaks to/about/for all races--to be that waystation that allows moms who hardly ever get invited to the debate to voice their opinions and be respected and heard. So your blogging partners are absolutely welcome here!

    Besos,

    D.

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  9. Congrats, Angelou!! I'll have jelly beans for you when I see you again...Lovely!! I promise to take my green, literally and figeratively, bags to Publix on my next visit....

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  10. Congrats. What a beautiful person you are and this is a well deserved day of honor. I love the whole green thing, but need some help, guidance and insight to get it going.

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  11. I'm late, but I don't care, I'm commenting almost a week later! I second the whole Angelou Rocks philosophy! Her infectious laugh and obvious commitment and passion to her work is nothing short of inspiring! Um, and side bar: she's my African dance mentor, because she always keeps me on my toes in class ;)

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  12. I am so excited about your mission! My kids have already started grilling me about our annual week long camp trip that takes place in August. I can't complain though because it just means they have the outdoor bug -- and I am pretty proud of that and know it's their foundation for a "green" consciousness. Keep up your great work Angelou!

    Rue
    http://www.outdoorafro.com

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  13. what a hot mamma, yo must post chicks like that bro, your blog rules man!

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