Barbie - FAIL

I’ve always been a big fan of Barbie.

She's a snappy dresser, works lots of interesting jobs and clearly has staying power and longevity.

In fact, I used to live just a few miles from the Barbie Hall of Fame. (Super neato.)

I don’t understand why folks get all in a tizzy and says that she’s a bad example for young girls. Please, people. My girl (and boy too) knows what’s real and what’s not. They know that real dogs don’t talk (Hi, Martha), real birds aren't neon yellow and 8 feet tall and real babies don’t really look one single bit like Cabbage Patch Kids. She knows that it’s all pretend and that most of the fun toys are a bit cartoon-y and exaggerated and fun. And she’s three. She gets it. (Granted this is mostly because I take the time to explain it to her…) She knows that not all females are tall and skinny, like her aunt and great aunt and other females but not like me.

I always figured that I’d get my wonderful Bunny girl her first Barbie and we would giggle and play fun role-playing games, and dress her up and dress her down... It would be great fun.

Then this happened:

(Can you see it o.k.? I took this crappy pic with my phone...)

Let me introduce you to the "Totally Stylin' Tattoos" Barbie.

The box says: Over 40 easy, no mess tattoos to design and decorate Barbie doll's fashions. Customize the fashions and apply the fun temporary tattoos on you too.

REALLY?

Full disclosure: I have tattoos. And I'm looking forward to getting more. But I don’t want my daughter to have them NOW. Or want them NOW.

And here’s my wonderful old friend Barbie rockin’ a tat.

So, why am I upset about this? It's not like they also include a "totally stylin' tattoo machine" with vibrating needles and lots of "totally stylin' tattoo ink." It seems that they're just riding that fake tattoo bandwagon. And sure, I can explain to Bunny that it's all fun and games and that most teenagers don't have tats... I think she'll get it... But...

It’s just not right.

I almost broke down in tears right in the middle of Target. Those memories that I was so looking forward to making with Bunny are dashed.

So, folks that make Barbie, I’m afraid you get a big FAIL.

Not cool.

The End of the Poop Initiative - Cheerio!

For those of you that want an update on The Poop Initiative:

I've estimated that over the next year we'll save about $438. in diapers.

YAY!

I would HIGHLY recommend the "No Pants Day!" strategy and go cold, um, turkey for a few days until, um, success is had.

The kiddos wear diapers at night and naps and have the occasional slip during the day but I think we can safely call The Poop Initative a done deal.

Now to get Sam to aim for the Cheerio....

A mother's work is never done...

(I can't WAIT for them to read this blog someday... WAY more embarassing than naked baby pics in the bathtub. Maybe I can arrange for this to be played during their respective wedding receptions...)

Bring it, Day #4

Reporting from Day #4 of The Poop Intiative....

Yes.


We.


Can.

Wonderful successes so far and now can see the light at the end of the, um, tunnel.

More inspiration:

(Thanks to Guy Kawasaki...)

Holiday Fun

Holidays can be either fun, fun, fun or totally unbearable.

Same goes for potty training.

Um, NO. Maybe the latter but definitely not the former.

They were all over it back in MAY but since then they won't even discuss it. They enjoy the books. They enjoy the fun underpants. But peeing in the potty? FORGET IT.

So...

Since Easter was fun, July 4th was a hoot and Halloween went really well I decided to try the "holiday" strategy (everything's MORE fun on a holiday!!!) with potty training to see how it goes.

Thus...

Today is "No Pants Day!"

YAY. (No, really. YAY.)

We refuse to bribe with candy or food but have promised copious amounts of monkey, elephant and excavator stickers.

A picture of after a successful, um, deposit:


J in all her sticker-fied glory. (Tally included a monkey, two elephants and one giant excavator.)

It seems that S has other uses for the potty:


At least he's creating SOMETHING.

Just like chickens

Brace yourselves:

This afternoon my kids were not in a class. Or inside playing games. Or upstairs reading books.
They were...

PLAYING OUTSIDE.

(gasp.)

Yup, I have free-range kids.

(Don't worry. I was there. They're only 2 1/2, for Pete's sake.)

I live in a great neighborhood. We have 15 kids under 5-years old on my street. There are 27 houses on said street and a whopping total of *29* kids on the street. (With three on the way.) On any given non-rainy day you can hear the noise of kids reverberating through the cul-de-sac. Small packs of kids thundering down the street, a bouncing basketball, loud clackety skateboards, the whirrrrr of bicycle wheels, and happy, giggly, play... It's wonderful music.

And seemingly rare in most neighborhoods these days.

I hear that most neighborhoods are in some kind of lock-down mode. Urban and suburban 'hoods. Parents are afraid of kiddos getting snatched, molested, you name it, so they the kids are under constant supervision and the parents are living in fear. (The wonderful Rosa Brooks of the LA Times writes about this here.)

They don't let their kids experience any sort of independence that might allow them to grow their self-confidence and know that they can do something, anything on their own.

They're just too scared.

Please understand that I have my moments of paranoia and fear. I would lose my mind (this is not an exaggeration) if something happened to S & J. But I am also the mom that will NEVER own a "kid leash". I'm the mom that lets her kiddos run around like banshees on rainy days at the mall - no stroller. I'm definitely the mom that lets her kids wander and explore at the local state park.

I've often joked that I needed four eyes to keep track of S & J - two eyes just isn't enough. When at all possible they head off in completely seperate directions leaving me to do a sort of child chasing triage. (Who might get into the most trouble first? GO!)

Instead of choosing fear I will choose freedom and educate by example. Be cautious but carefree. Be careful but foster independence.

And hopefully they'll choose to raise free-range kids one day.

Teach your children well

Tomatoes do not come from Wal-Mart.

Neither do peaches, cucumbers, honey, eggs or cheese.

Or milk.

These are the lessons I’m trying to teach my kiddos.

These things come from the earth. They are grown, nurtured and cultivated by people. Important stuff to know, I think.

Late last week I took S & J to our little, down-home and absolutely charming Farmer’s Market. It’s held weekly in the shared parking lot of the library and public health department. Our county has a cool plan for low-income family and WIC coupon holders. They can “spend” their WIC vouchers buying healthy veggies, fruit and honey at the farmer’s market. Fabulous.

In March the kiddos and I got some organic tomato and jalapeno pepper seeds. S & J watched as I planted the seeds in warm peat and placed them in the middle of the sunny kitchen table. Together we watered them every day until a tiny green head popped out of the dirt to say hello.

“We’re growing our food,” I told them. “We need to care for these seeds so they will provide us with yummy eats."

A month or so later we transplanted the seedlings into cups, then finally into large colorful pots (actually, funky garbage cans from Ikea) on our back deck. They are thriving in the Georgia heat and sun and its fun to check on them everyday and dream of the luscious tomato sandwiches and tasty roasted peppers to come. The kiddos love to touch the fruit and poke and wiggle their fingers in the dirt.

I love that.

We also planted some sunflower seeds in the front flower beds. We oooh and aaah over their big, colorful heads peeking over the porch rail.

Most days I'm at a loss at what to teach my children. Sure, I've got the basics covered: be kind, be thankful, nuture others and love, love, love..

I think that those "basics" apply to food too.

I'll let you know when our tomatoes are sandwich-ready.