I am first and foremost a family person. I think every choice I make is determined by my love for the people God blessed me with.

My basket of joy is filled with two beautiful daughters. The youngest one is my warrior princess and resident comediene. She is our fearless wonder and is just as ready to wrestle with her brother and climb a tree as she is ready to play with her baby doll and put on a fashion show with her older sister. The older daughter is my butterfly princess and is so much like me it is scary sometimes. She loves to write, is very reflective, and super-intuned to the people she encounter. She is observant and absolutely loves her clothes!

The cup of my joy overflows with pride for the three African-American sons I call my arrows. One is pursuing his creative dream through writing, music, and art. He is the embodiment of all our poetic elders. The next one is my tall, Samurai warrior currently serving our country in the U.s. Navy. He is the deep thinker, prophetic, historian. The youngest son and only one at home now is my playful actor. He has been singing as long as he has been alive and is in concert choir as well as live theatre. He is so full of energy It often have to stand back and take a breath to keep up with him.

My husband, friend, and partner-in-parenting is a compassionate educator. As a vice president of a midwestern HBCU, his hands are full leading another generation to the promise of a college degree. He, like me, loves art, live theatre, and books.

I am also educated with an MBA in marketing from the University of Iowa and a B.S. in marketing and management from Columbia College. Writing and marketing are twin-selves that have guided my career. I am President of The Wooden Pen Markting Group and have a particular interest in small businesses. My professional career has taken me to public and private companies as well as universities and state government.

Lastly, I love a good book and find myself more and more in love with the written word. I can't enjoy the printed word without my ever-present vanilla latte. One of my former co-workers dubbed me "The Latte Queen" and it is a moniker I readily embrace! You can check out my narratives at http://themusingsofalattequeen.blogspot.com.

My passion is ...

family, people, art, writing, reading, and of course...lattes!

I know too much about ...

keeping a house clean!

My parents always told me ...

remember you are a Brent!

My childhood ambition ...

to be a writer

My favorite memory ...

watching my daughters discover the beach for the first time in Michigan

Why I write ...

because it is my release, my heart

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

The Known World by Edward P. Jones; not watching anything, listening to npr.org - News & Notes especially

My first job ...

a secretary for state government

My best moment ...

when I woke up from donating my kidney to my cousin and was surrounded by my family

My inspiration ...

my children

Parenting & Pregnancy > Common Baby Ailments Tips for eating out when your child has food allergies

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If your child has severe food allergies like my daughter, you don't have to give up enjoying a family dinner out. There are some things you need to do to be prepared in case she/he has a reaction to a hidden food additive. We have traveled and eaten out a lot since our daughter's initial diagnosis of Eosinophilia. Apart from a few mishaps, haven't had any trouble.

The first thing to do is to prepare your child. He/she is not too young to know what they are allergic to and what is the reaction. Peanut/treenut allergies along with fish/shellfish allergies often prove to be the most seve...

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