Raya calls Levi... "'Oh-la" --- and she belts it. Kind'of sounds like "hola" Trust me, it is unbearably cute and
funny.
Thought: Last Saturday I bought a large carton of goldfish crackers... to mix up our snacks a bit. 5 days later that very large carton was gone. Is that normal? That is seriously a lot of crackers!
In attempts to eat less peanut butter and cut back on the handful of chocolate chips I inevitably eat throughout the day I bought Nutella.... thinking I would cut a few calories. .. but really? Now Jeff and I use Nutella and peanut butter and glory in our Reese's peanut butter toast.
Thought: If I see another girl dressed as a pink blob I might scream. Seriously. Girls getting the "special" pink bats and the "special" pink helmets during t-ball raised hairs on my neck. Ok, apparently I'm turning into a freak'n feline, but seriously I find it devastating how our girls are being portrayed and brainwashed/stunted/sexualized/manipulatated -- you may go to a thesaurus now and find other synonyms that follow the same thread... because I could continue. Please read Cinderella ate my Daughter. Oh, and if you go out of the way to give Raya the pink cup or ball, shoes, socks etc, OR princess memorabelia that is plastered on every tooth brush - lightsocket in this country --- don't be surprised if I give you the stink eye. You've been warned.
Thought: One of the cutest things I have ever seen.... Levi playing tball!
More cute stuff... Seth and Levi like to sleep with out their shirts on... Raya refused to wear a shirt last night too. 2 boys then a girl makes for a fun dynamic!
11 comments:
Cute pictures. And I just want to add an "amen" to your thoughts on the girly brainwashing that goes on. Sounds like I need to read that book.
Do you own that book? I've been wanting to read it.
haha, was going to ask if you'd read that book. TOTALLY agree. Brook just started Kindergarten on Monday and I have already noticed a difference (even though they have uniforms, which I LOVE!!!!). She was so good about everything before though!! She has a black bike and helmet with flames going up the sides--I think she'll be okay, but geez...hate feeling like I'm always on defense with stuff like that.
P.S. Just tried Nutella this year and OH MY GOSH, I am in love!!!!
Carolyn and Kelli-- I have the book on my kindle, you're more than welcome to borrow it. It's also at the library.
Trista... we have school aged children.... Isn't that CRAZY?!? I've always liked Brook's style, she is feminine but not a princess pansy, Why are our girl's role model princesses... always waiting for someone to rescue them. Praising their looks and not their abilities. Drives. Me. Crazy. Girls are scarier to bring-up for me.. but definitely worth the challenge :)
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100421290806748&set=a.10100421287967438.2823856.10703971&type=1&theater
should girls not be able to wear dresses too??
I don't think it's wrong to plaster a girl in pink, or a boy in blue. Girl's can wear dresses, jewelry, whatever, and even be princesses if they want to. I think being a girl means being super strong, super smart, and super sweet. Why can't pink represent the positive of woman power and not be viewed as a negative stereotype that means women are weak damsels in distress. Oh, and I believe a girl can be a princess... and it does not mean that either. A princess to me is a girl who believes in herself and believes in embracing her feminitity. I think pink princesses, or blue construction workers and everything in between should be encouraged to love and be whatever they want. I don't believe in teaching my child NOT to be a princess because I feel that enforces the stereotype in the child.
Awesome? -- Josh, you read my blog?
As for the princess issue, the problem we have with girls labeled as being a princess is that a princess is a defined as someone in a position of power without having earned it. We have this idea of this princess that always needs to be saved, as always being swept off her feet, where looking good is more important what you do -- it's a caricature of women that doesn't provide an active, positive role model. I'm choosing to provide different role models for Raya. -- We don't have a problem with Raya (or the boys) pretending to play princess ... just like we don't have trouble with them pretending to be a dinosaur or a doctor... but that is just pretend play for an afternoon. I'm talking about the larger commercial scale of princess memorabilia and pink.
And I would refute that a girl ever chooses to be a princess when they are 1 year old. They are dolled up by their parents, and brought up to want to be like a princess. Labeling all girls as princesses -- and EVERYTHING princess, it puts them into a little pink princess box. Why can't a girl be dressed in a rainbow of colors? I went to get Raya some shoes a couple months a go.. every.single.pair.was.pink. I went to the boys section to get her some simple black/white pumas. Seriously, read: "Cinderella ate my daughter" -- you don't have to agree with everything or embrace everything but it gives a good outlook on the commercialization that is saturating children.
I'm guessing your wouldn't like to hear my opinion on Disney ;)
Well don't worry I won't fill up your fam blog with a big debate forever:) But I would like to say just one more thing. The dictionary doesn't include any of those meanings in the meaning of the word princess. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/princess) Some people add connotations to the word that are negative. I'm not one of them.
I think that two people can see the exact same event and see it completely different. I think that is probably what is happening with us :) I heard that you aren't a fan of Disney, and obv I am on the other side of that one too haha. I think we just view things differently because when I watch Cinderella I see a strong woman who works very hard, is sociable, kind, and has great morals. I see a woman who falls in love and gets positivity come to her for being such a hard worker and doing what is right in the world. Some people may see it as the Prince rescuing her but I see it as putting forward hard work and positivity and getting back positive things in return. And we all want for our daughters and sons to fall in love some day. I feel like my own life has been a Cinderella story, and I'm pretty proud of that!
As for dolling up 1 year olds (which I find difficult to not attribute directly to me:) yes I want to doll up my daughter in pink and rhinestones and ruffles. She can wear a rainbow of colors, but yes she ends up in whatever mom provides. But like I said I don't think there is anything wrong with wearing all pink all the time, just like there is nothing wrong with wearing a rainbow of colors. I do agree that if you can't find any non pink shoes.. they should be providing that as an option for goodness sakes though! (So we agree on that :)
So basically I know about commercialization and what they are doing with all the princess gear, but I don't buy into the views they are selling, or the connotations they want to attribute to the word princess or even the color pink. Who the heck are they to tell me that's what those words mean? That's not what I think they mean.
Children become what we teach them and even more so what we show them. And as I sit here in my all pink pj's thinking about the rhinestone cards I want to make and the doily cookies... I know that I am happy with who I am and who I am creating in my daughter. We are the ultimate role models for our daughters, and if she ends up with my Cinderella story, or my love of pink and everything ruffly... (also if she doesn't:) I will be one proud mama.
P.S. Sorry that was a novel!!!
of course i read your blog! family is important! ;)
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