"How did you end up with such a dark skinned child?"

To be totally honest I shouldn't have said Pearl believes she is "black".   Pearl knows her skin is dark and therefore sees herself in dark skinned people, like our President.  The reason she even gives her skin tone a thought is because people are constantly commenting on it.  People who would consider themselves far from racist can't seem to help but immediately ask: "Where does Pearl get that dark skin?" "What's your ethnic background?" "Pearl sure is darker than her sisters."   What is it they are asking?  And why.  I get curiosity.  But maybe people should give a little more thought to their comments before they speak.  She hears them.  And what she hears is that she is different.  Mav hears them and he hears a question of my fidelity.  I hear them and I hear judgement.

I love her dark features.  God has used them to shine a light on my own racism.  I have a new perspective and it is personal.

I hope I don't sound like I am saying I now know what it is like to be a victim of racism.  I don't.  What I am saying is that through Pearl I have a different gauge with which I can see the plank in my own eye.

We are racist.

I wanted to take a moment and acknowledge our new Commander in Chief, President Obama.

Many of you may not know that my 5 year old, Pearl, thinks she is black.  (I will post on the hows and whys of this at another date.)  When Barack was elected Pearl said to me "He has the same color skin as me!" (she is dark complected)  This made her proud.   At that moment I had a small glimpse into the hope and joy this President gives many mother's across our country.

Measuring Up

There was an article recently suggesting Facebook can make you a bad mom.  (Make??)  Something about our children being Facebook orphans.  I totally agree.  ( yet a quick trip to Walmart will quickly provide perspective to the term 'bad mom' )  I have only been a Facebooker about 2 weeks, but my first thought was 'how do people have time for their children?'  I have a hard enough time without Facebook.  Then there are the blogs...

I look at blogs written by moms on homeschooling, meal planning, budgeting, sewing etc... I become enraptured by their wisdom.  How beautifully they clothe and feed their family for a dime a day all while wearing their 5 children in an organic baby carrier and breastfeeding with the love of Jesus.  (You know the ones!)  I want to be just like them.  Then I realize I don't know html.

Ok...resolutions

I was going to avoid the whole New Year's resolutions thing, but I keep coming up with things I hope to accomplish/change.

1.  Create items to sell on Etsy (children's clothing, embroidered items all with tattoo designs)

2. Ride my stationary bike-often.

3. Scan our photo negatives.

4. Go to Disneyland

5. Go to Ohio

6. Go to San Francisco

7. Go to Vancouver BC

8. Grow a vegetable garden

9. Read 1 book a week

10. Be prepared to homeschool in the fall.

11. Go to the dentist.

12. Have a baby.

13. Paint the bathroom.

We Do Love Eric Carle!

A Sample of Books We Love