...Disney Princesses, however, will never not ever be allowed in my house period. Read more at; http://jezebel.com/5223318/disney-pushes-princess-lifestyle-in-ladymag-form#c
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
I just wrote this in response to this post on Nerissa Nield's blog. I figured I put it up here too, because It something I feel strongly about and, hey, it's content!
Hi!
I just found your blog and I am enjoying it very much.
My newly three-year-old bean hasn't latched on to Barbie or princesses beyond a peripheral awareness that, a.) They show up occasionally on other kid’s sneakers and lunchboxes, and B.) They’re supposed to be “be-yoo-tiful…” While the Bean has a healthy amount of appreciation for bling, she just isn’t as into dolls and frou-frou as I was when I was her age. She’d rather be smooshing up pinecones and trying to feed them to the dogs. I’m not entertaining any fantasies that I’ve dodged this bullet yet- I know that three is just barely the tip of the gender/aesthetics/identity/body image iceberg.
I do, however, have a secret plan up my sleeve, should Barbie get her little, plastic, flipper-mitts on my girl. I’m thinking of telling the bean that Barbie is a drag queen. As a girly feminist, I loooove drag because it takes glamour and puts it in a transgressive context. Drag highlights the idea that glamour is artifice- an illusion that is temporary. Besides, who else would wear stilettos and a pink lamé gown to the grocery store?
I just wrote this in response to this post on Nerissa Nield's blog. I figured I put it up here too, because It something I feel strongly about and, hey, it's content!
Hi!
I just found your blog and I am enjoying it very much.
My newly three-year-old bean hasn't latched on to Barbie or princesses beyond a peripheral awareness that, a.) They show up occasionally on other kid’s sneakers and lunchboxes, and B.) They’re supposed to be “be-yoo-tiful…” While the Bean has a healthy amount of appreciation for bling, she just isn’t as into dolls and frou-frou as I was when I was her age. She’d rather be smooshing up pinecones and trying to feed them to the dogs. I’m not entertaining any fantasies that I’ve dodged this bullet yet- I know that three is just barely the tip of the gender/aesthetics/identity/body image iceberg.
I do, however, have a secret plan up my sleeve, should Barbie get her little, plastic, flipper-mitts on my girl. I’m thinking of telling the bean that Barbie is a drag queen. As a girly feminist, I loooove drag because it takes glamour and puts it in a transgressive context. Drag highlights the idea that glamour is artifice- an illusion that is temporary. Besides, who else would wear stilettos and a pink lamé gown to the grocery store?
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Yup! I'm still here. Despite the lack of posting, I haven't given up on the blog thing yet. I've just been busy living real life and doing important stuff like watching RuPaul's Drag Race. I've also been cheating on it heavily with Facebook and the blogs I write for work. As for Crafty-goodness I've finished a few things here and there, but nothing too major since Xmas. I've been slooooooowly working through the pile of half finished knitting projects that live next to my bed, but really, I don't have anything too impressive to show for it. The biggest news of late is that the Bean turned Three. I fully expect her third year to kick me in the ass. I've seen enough of three to know that it is a loaded year. A propensity for magical thinking + somewhat questionable judgement + a will of steel= fun times! Despite not being thrilled that my baby is now capable of getting into actual arguments with me, for the most part I'm enjoying it. I made a few things for her birthday, but I didn't really pull out all the stops this year. Fortunately, I have some crafty friends who jumped in with some truly inspired handmade birthday gifts. I'll post some photos soon.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Bloggin'-in To Spread the Word About the CPSIA
Sooooo,do you know about the CPSIA?
It's full title is The Consumer Product's Safety Improvement Act, and it is the Consumer Product's Safety Commission's response to last years massive spate of lead tainted mass produced toys. While I agree, Lead+toys = bad combination, the more I read about the proposed legislation, the more It seems like a poorly crafted mess. Ironically, the Act could put many small producers of one of a kind handmade toys- the very people that many of us have turned to to avoid crappy, lead tainted, soulless plastic gee-gaws- out of business for good.
As it stands now, the CPSIA does not include any kind of exemption for independent producers of handmade children's items. Meaning that, if I were to open up an Etsy store to sell, oh say, any of the stuff I've blogged about here, I would have to pay thousands of dollars to have my items tested for lead. If you want to read more about the far reaching negative effects of the CPSIA, I've cut and pasted a long, comprehensive post from a group of crafters on Etsy. If you want to do something about it, follow this link to a pre-formatted e-mail that's all ready to go to the CPSC. The Act is supposed to go into effect in the middle of February, so don't wait. If I ever decide to make toys to sell, I don't want to be forced to do it in a back alley...
I pulled the following with permission from a thread on Etsy:
As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too. How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples: To the Parents of Young Students:Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.To the Avid Reader:Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322To the Lover of All Things Handmade:Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.To the Environmentalist:Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.To the Second-Hand Shopper:Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.To the Entrepreneur:Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America. To the Antique Toy Collector:Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.htmlTo the American Economy:Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake. To the Worldwide Economy:Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses. If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbeshttp://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.htmlAnd for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Lawhttp://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.htmlDid you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.
Sooooo,do you know about the CPSIA?
It's full title is The Consumer Product's Safety Improvement Act, and it is the Consumer Product's Safety Commission's response to last years massive spate of lead tainted mass produced toys. While I agree, Lead+toys = bad combination, the more I read about the proposed legislation, the more It seems like a poorly crafted mess. Ironically, the Act could put many small producers of one of a kind handmade toys- the very people that many of us have turned to to avoid crappy, lead tainted, soulless plastic gee-gaws- out of business for good.
As it stands now, the CPSIA does not include any kind of exemption for independent producers of handmade children's items. Meaning that, if I were to open up an Etsy store to sell, oh say, any of the stuff I've blogged about here, I would have to pay thousands of dollars to have my items tested for lead. If you want to read more about the far reaching negative effects of the CPSIA, I've cut and pasted a long, comprehensive post from a group of crafters on Etsy. If you want to do something about it, follow this link to a pre-formatted e-mail that's all ready to go to the CPSC. The Act is supposed to go into effect in the middle of February, so don't wait. If I ever decide to make toys to sell, I don't want to be forced to do it in a back alley...
I pulled the following with permission from a thread on Etsy:
As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too. How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples: To the Parents of Young Students:Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.To the Avid Reader:Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322To the Lover of All Things Handmade:Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.To the Environmentalist:Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.To the Second-Hand Shopper:Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.To the Entrepreneur:Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America. To the Antique Toy Collector:Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.htmlTo the American Economy:Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake. To the Worldwide Economy:Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses. If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbeshttp://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.htmlAnd for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Lawhttp://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.htmlDid you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Xmas Round-up...
I tried to make a bunch of xmas gifts this year (oh wait, it's 2009? Make that last year...) True to form, this meant I was up until 2am on xmas eve finishing things up. This in not because I am extra committed to my art... it's because I procrastinate like crazy.
Unfortunately, with all the last minute knitting I only managed to photograph 2 of my finished projects.
If you've ever had a conversation with me about Waldorf Education, then you have heard my rant about all of the things that I don't like about it. (Rudolph Steiner=wackjob, Joyless and regimented style of teaching art, No emphasis on literacy and reading skills, Utter lack of technological and media literacy education, in my experience waaaaay too expensive and super duper Caucasian, other parents looked at me funny for wearing black... OK, I'll stop now...) The one thing about Waldorf that appeals to me is the thing that I suspect draws most people into it; Beautiful handmade toys. Of course, here's the deep dark secret of the Waldorf parent community. The idea behind those beautiful handmade toys is that you make them yourself. The reality in the school that my stepdaughter went to? Parents dropped hundreds of dollars on Waldorf toys from catalogues. While I agree that beautiful handmade toys are worth more than crappy, mass produced plastic ones, The philosophy behind those handmade 'Waldorf' toys is that they reflect the souls of the person who made them as well as the child that plays with them. With this in mind, plunking down the credit card and ordering one from a catalogue seems to be missing the point.
I tried to make a bunch of xmas gifts this year (oh wait, it's 2009? Make that last year...) True to form, this meant I was up until 2am on xmas eve finishing things up. This in not because I am extra committed to my art... it's because I procrastinate like crazy.
Unfortunately, with all the last minute knitting I only managed to photograph 2 of my finished projects.
If you've ever had a conversation with me about Waldorf Education, then you have heard my rant about all of the things that I don't like about it. (Rudolph Steiner=wackjob, Joyless and regimented style of teaching art, No emphasis on literacy and reading skills, Utter lack of technological and media literacy education, in my experience waaaaay too expensive and super duper Caucasian, other parents looked at me funny for wearing black... OK, I'll stop now...) The one thing about Waldorf that appeals to me is the thing that I suspect draws most people into it; Beautiful handmade toys. Of course, here's the deep dark secret of the Waldorf parent community. The idea behind those beautiful handmade toys is that you make them yourself. The reality in the school that my stepdaughter went to? Parents dropped hundreds of dollars on Waldorf toys from catalogues. While I agree that beautiful handmade toys are worth more than crappy, mass produced plastic ones, The philosophy behind those handmade 'Waldorf' toys is that they reflect the souls of the person who made them as well as the child that plays with them. With this in mind, plunking down the credit card and ordering one from a catalogue seems to be missing the point.
At any rate, here's the Waldorf-style doll I made for The Bean. I made her out of a tee shirt, some stash yarn, and some outgrown baby clothes. She has some blue and green streaks in her hair, on purpose, because that would never fly at our local Waldorf school,...
Here's the scarf I made for my mom. I was planning on knitting it, but then I got it in my mind that weaving would be soooo much quicker. Ha! Maybe for someone who has a little experience with a loom! I pulled out Stepdaughter's old rigid heddle loom (Purchased by a well meaning grandparent from one of the previously mentioned Waldorf catalogues. She never used it.) and proceeded to make a mess. Then I googled "how to warp a rigid heddle loom" and learned about things like tension and warping paper. Trust me, It made all the difference.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Oh Yeah, Halloween...
I can't believe that my election fervor actually trumped my Halloween fervor. This is huge, since Halloween is only the best holiday. ever! Of course, now that things have settled down electorally speaking, I can get back to posting about really important stuff...
Like costumes.
I loooove costumes. I especially love making costumes. I especially especially love making costumes with a little bit of an edge to to them, but I am willing to bow to those with different sensibilities...
This year I when I asked Rosa what she wanted to be for Halloween, I was bracing myself for a 'pink and sparkly' kind of request. There's a bout of "pink disease" whipping through her/our (I'm the teacher, remember) classroom at school. The symptoms are horrifying. Tutus, Tiaras, disney princesses, two and a half year old children greeting each other with "do I look pretty in my dress today?"... the other day, I had to break up a fight between six kids who all wanted the same pillow because it was the only pink one in the batch. When I took the pink pillow case off the pillow in an effort to help it blend in with it's navy blue counterparts, the combatants wailed "nooooooo" as if I were flensing it right before their eyes. What a drag.
As Rosa's mama the whole thing brings up other issues for me, but I tend to take a neutral stance about the whole fancy costume play, both with her and in the classroom. Really, the fastest way to turn a two year old's interest into an obsession is to give them the slightest clue that it drives you nuts. Fortunately, Rosa's not obsessed. She's interested in the novelty of fancy things, but she pretty much has a take it or leave it attitude towards the whole princess-drag thing. She does notice the other kids at school comparing outfits though. she notices it so much that now, whenever she puts on a skirt or fancy shoes, she'll ask "Do I look so, so pretty mama?" (or worse "Ooooo I look like so-and so with my fancy shoes!") Of course I think she's pretty- she's my daughter. I just don't want her to think that being pretty=being valuable. I want her to think she's valuable no matter what. Also, I have to say it kills me to hear my kid- who isn't even three yet- compare her appearance to other girls. (See? Other issues...)
My current (and constantly evolving) approach to the whole pink problem is to let her get all dragged up when she wants to, without making a big deal for or against her fancy costumes. (IE; "Wow! That's quite an outfit!") Of course, anytime she asks me if she looks pretty I'll say "Yes! And you are also so, so super smart, which is even more important!"
Anyways,
After all that build up, care to take a guess what Rosa told me she wanted to be for Halloween? Disney princess? Bratz doll? Crack ho cheerleader?
Pirate!!! Hell yeah!!!
Not just any Pirate, she wanted to be a badass pirate! She even started squinting and saying "Aaaaarrrrrgh" when she was describing exactly what kind of pirate she was thinking of. Awesome! This is the only picture I have of her in the hat I made her. she liked it, but not enough to endure wearing it for more than 5 minutes at a time. I also made the coat, which I modeled loosely on this one. Thank you Internet.
Our town has an annual Halloween parade. This was the first year that we joined the massive mob to take over the main drag. Rosa was very impressed with the sheer importance of the occasion, hence the 'very serious' face. (she makes this face when birthday candles are about to be blown out as well...) At the last minute, Rosa grabbed a neon yellow tutu and insisted that her pirate outfit really needed it. We rolled with it. Hey, the coat, hat and attitude really made it a badass tutu. If you look closely, you can see the the red and white stripey pirate pants I made peeking out from under all that tulle...
After the parade, we went trick or treating on our street. It was awesome to see Rosa really get into what Halloween was all about. "Is that chocolate?!!!" she cried when she saw the first few bits of candy plunk into her plastic pumpkin. Here's a picture of Rosa and her pirate papa, digging into the Halloween booty! (J and I dressed up like pirates too- Like I said, I looove costumes...) All in all, we all had a great time and Rosa was proud of her piratey goodness. (Man, I hope she will always be proud of her piratey goodness- it's a hell of a lot more satisfying than being proud of your shoes!)
I can't believe that my election fervor actually trumped my Halloween fervor. This is huge, since Halloween is only the best holiday. ever! Of course, now that things have settled down electorally speaking, I can get back to posting about really important stuff...
Like costumes.
I loooove costumes. I especially love making costumes. I especially especially love making costumes with a little bit of an edge to to them, but I am willing to bow to those with different sensibilities...
This year I when I asked Rosa what she wanted to be for Halloween, I was bracing myself for a 'pink and sparkly' kind of request. There's a bout of "pink disease" whipping through her/our (I'm the teacher, remember) classroom at school. The symptoms are horrifying. Tutus, Tiaras, disney princesses, two and a half year old children greeting each other with "do I look pretty in my dress today?"... the other day, I had to break up a fight between six kids who all wanted the same pillow because it was the only pink one in the batch. When I took the pink pillow case off the pillow in an effort to help it blend in with it's navy blue counterparts, the combatants wailed "nooooooo" as if I were flensing it right before their eyes. What a drag.
As Rosa's mama the whole thing brings up other issues for me, but I tend to take a neutral stance about the whole fancy costume play, both with her and in the classroom. Really, the fastest way to turn a two year old's interest into an obsession is to give them the slightest clue that it drives you nuts. Fortunately, Rosa's not obsessed. She's interested in the novelty of fancy things, but she pretty much has a take it or leave it attitude towards the whole princess-drag thing. She does notice the other kids at school comparing outfits though. she notices it so much that now, whenever she puts on a skirt or fancy shoes, she'll ask "Do I look so, so pretty mama?" (or worse "Ooooo I look like so-and so with my fancy shoes!") Of course I think she's pretty- she's my daughter. I just don't want her to think that being pretty=being valuable. I want her to think she's valuable no matter what. Also, I have to say it kills me to hear my kid- who isn't even three yet- compare her appearance to other girls. (See? Other issues...)
My current (and constantly evolving) approach to the whole pink problem is to let her get all dragged up when she wants to, without making a big deal for or against her fancy costumes. (IE; "Wow! That's quite an outfit!") Of course, anytime she asks me if she looks pretty I'll say "Yes! And you are also so, so super smart, which is even more important!"
Anyways,
After all that build up, care to take a guess what Rosa told me she wanted to be for Halloween? Disney princess? Bratz doll? Crack ho cheerleader?
Pirate!!! Hell yeah!!!
Not just any Pirate, she wanted to be a badass pirate! She even started squinting and saying "Aaaaarrrrrgh" when she was describing exactly what kind of pirate she was thinking of. Awesome! This is the only picture I have of her in the hat I made her. she liked it, but not enough to endure wearing it for more than 5 minutes at a time. I also made the coat, which I modeled loosely on this one. Thank you Internet. 
Our town has an annual Halloween parade. This was the first year that we joined the massive mob to take over the main drag. Rosa was very impressed with the sheer importance of the occasion, hence the 'very serious' face. (she makes this face when birthday candles are about to be blown out as well...) At the last minute, Rosa grabbed a neon yellow tutu and insisted that her pirate outfit really needed it. We rolled with it. Hey, the coat, hat and attitude really made it a badass tutu. If you look closely, you can see the the red and white stripey pirate pants I made peeking out from under all that tulle... 
After the parade, we went trick or treating on our street. It was awesome to see Rosa really get into what Halloween was all about. "Is that chocolate?!!!" she cried when she saw the first few bits of candy plunk into her plastic pumpkin. Here's a picture of Rosa and her pirate papa, digging into the Halloween booty! (J and I dressed up like pirates too- Like I said, I looove costumes...) All in all, we all had a great time and Rosa was proud of her piratey goodness. (Man, I hope she will always be proud of her piratey goodness- it's a hell of a lot more satisfying than being proud of your shoes!) Saturday, November 08, 2008
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Voted!
I just got back from voting, with Rosa in tow.
Now, I swear to you that I haven't been whispering liberal propaganda into her little ears (...much), but, for the last three months, any time she hears the slightest mention of the Democratic candidate, her ears perk up and she pipes up; "Hey!...Did they say Barack-O-Bama?!!!!" I'm convinced that if two-year-olds could vote, he'd be a shoe in just based on the fact that his name is so fun to say.
With all of this build up, I figured It couldn't hurt to try to incorporate a scaled down civics lesson into today's voting adventure. Rosa already gets that Barack Obama is a name of a person- Jesse showed her a picture. Today- after clearing up that we were in fact going to vote, not to boat- I told her that voting means that someone was asking me who I thought should be the boss of the country. (I know she understands what a "boss" is, as she often insists that she's it...until I bring up the fact that she can't drive, cook, or change her own diaper...) I showed her the ballot, then told her I was going to write down who I thought would take the best care of everybody we know....
Me:"Who do you think I'm going to pick?"
Rosa: "(thinks for a minute)...I don't know."
Me: "It's someone who's name you like to hear on the radio..."
Rosa: "Barack-O-Bama?!!!"
On the way home, we listened to the radio. Every two seconds, Rosa piped up "Hey!...They said Vote!!!!" She also made up a song;
(sung to the tune of Happy Birthday To You)
"Barack-O-Bama to you,
Barack-O-Bama to you,
Barck-O-Bama, Barack-O-Bama,
Barack-O-Bama to you!"
(Dude, If he wins, we're totally having Barack-day cake tomorrow night...)
I just got back from voting, with Rosa in tow.
Now, I swear to you that I haven't been whispering liberal propaganda into her little ears (...much), but, for the last three months, any time she hears the slightest mention of the Democratic candidate, her ears perk up and she pipes up; "Hey!...Did they say Barack-O-Bama?!!!!" I'm convinced that if two-year-olds could vote, he'd be a shoe in just based on the fact that his name is so fun to say.
With all of this build up, I figured It couldn't hurt to try to incorporate a scaled down civics lesson into today's voting adventure. Rosa already gets that Barack Obama is a name of a person- Jesse showed her a picture. Today- after clearing up that we were in fact going to vote, not to boat- I told her that voting means that someone was asking me who I thought should be the boss of the country. (I know she understands what a "boss" is, as she often insists that she's it...until I bring up the fact that she can't drive, cook, or change her own diaper...) I showed her the ballot, then told her I was going to write down who I thought would take the best care of everybody we know....
Me:"Who do you think I'm going to pick?"
Rosa: "(thinks for a minute)...I don't know."
Me: "It's someone who's name you like to hear on the radio..."
Rosa: "Barack-O-Bama?!!!"
On the way home, we listened to the radio. Every two seconds, Rosa piped up "Hey!...They said Vote!!!!" She also made up a song;
(sung to the tune of Happy Birthday To You)
"Barack-O-Bama to you,
Barack-O-Bama to you,
Barck-O-Bama, Barack-O-Bama,
Barack-O-Bama to you!"
(Dude, If he wins, we're totally having Barack-day cake tomorrow night...)
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