William received a sticker book about US presidents for his birthday. He is currently obsessed with sticker books, so loves talking about this new one. He and Matt were looking through it and this is what I heard from the other room...
W: "Why are they all guys?"
Matt: "Well, I bet you'll see a girl president in your life."
W: "Like Word Girl?"
Matt: "Yeah, Word Girl would be a good president. Or some other girl. But I have a feeling there will be one."
This is why I love my husband. He had no idea I could even hear him. If you know Matt this conversation isn't a surprise. Most days I wouldn't even think twice about it, but I'm getting tired of hearing about sexism, racism, and all the other BS-isms that invade our daily lives as ignorant people get more and more extreme.
Election years bring out the worst in people. But, sometimes they also remind you why you respect other people and why you're so happy you married them.
8.30.2012
8.28.2012
My Boys
At first glance my boys look very different from each other. W has dark hair, dark eyes, and a more olive skin tone. B is fair with blond hair and blue eyes. Their eye shape is different, but their noses, cheeks, mouth, and chin are very similar... Except people don't usually look long enough to notice it. They take a quick inventory and then ask me how my two boys look so different. I've grown accustomed to making a joke of it, rather than pointing out their similarities.
While I was reading the amazing novel The Baker's Daughter I couldn't help but think that if we were in a different place at a different time these differences could allow for very different lives for my kids. If we were living within the setting of a book and were a Jewish family living in Nazi Germany, B would fit the perfect Aryan stereotype. Would he have been spared? Would a family have taken him in to protect him? Would I encourage him to pretend to be something else to protect himself, even if it meant W wouldn't have the same chance? I found myself wondering this again and again throughout the book. And I still can't shake the question.
I'd like to think that we live in a place and time when these simple differences don't matter and the world will view each of them the same, regardless of hair or eye color. But, we all have stereotypes, right? It can't be compared to real true bigotry or genocide, but I do wonder what the future has in store for two boys who outwardly might look so different at first glance.
8.27.2012
William: Age 4
Happy 4th birthday to William! Our little guy became a great big brother and forfeited his role as the baby in the family pretty easily. He is idolized by his younger brother. The relationship between William and Beckett has been a highlight for all of us, especially William, who loves having a brother.William has grown so much this year. Sometimes I find myself doing a double take. We have a REAL boy in our house now. He loves Super Heroes, bugs, and dinosaurs. He gets dirty, his feet are smelly, but he is still incredibly sweet and cuddly. William's first year of preschool really helped him blossom socially and he's still figuring out his role in social situations with other kids. He still likes to play on his own and you'll often find him wandering away to play with something that has caught his attention.
His limitless appetite has started to become more picky and William is becoming less open to trying new things or eating some of the adventurous items he used to enthusiastically eat. Currently his favorite foods are California rolls, hamburgers, hummus, peanut butter & jelly, and pancakes.
William is clumsy and tentative physically. He needs to really wrap his head around things before giving them a try. He has a high tolerance for pain and rarely cries when he falls or gets hurt.
He is still verbally many years ahead of his age and I love that I can full, serious conversations with him. He is a great lunch date and always keeps me interested. Anytime he hears a new word he asks for an explanation of what it means and then examples of how to use it, then includes it in his own vocabulary. It's normal to hear him properly use words like "prefer" or "familiar."
William's two best qualities are his sweetness and sense of humor. He is thoughtful about things, shares hugs and kisses happily, and makes me laugh harder than anyone else. Having other parents tell me they enjoy these things about William and are happy he is friends with their kids has really made me proud of him. It's easy for me to see all of his great qualities as his mom, but hearing it from others makes my day.I worry that William's sweetness will be taken advantage of, as he wears his emotions on his sleeve and easily gets his feelings hurt. When I've seen kids say things that hurt him, he often hangs his head rather than defending himself or letting it roll off his shoulders. It's the thing that makes him so genuinely sweet and I hope he finds a way to handle this part of growing up.
William is turning out to be a great kid and we are so proud of him. I feel lucky to know and love him each and every day. He is an extraordinary boy.
Previous Birthday Posts:
8.26.2012
Brookfield Zoo Trip
We went to Brookfield Zoo a couple of weeks ago. It was awesome. I wrote a post about it over on TheChicagoMoms.com that you should check out and then plan your trip to this awesome local zoo.
Look how much fun we had!
Full discloaure: I received complimentary tickets to the zoo and all exhibits for my family. All opinions are my own.
Look how much fun we had!
Full discloaure: I received complimentary tickets to the zoo and all exhibits for my family. All opinions are my own.
