We found the good attitude!

Doodle has this super awesome kindergarten teacher, Mrs. I. Doodle's had the best year in kindergarten, and this means so much to me. I was so afraid my sensitive Doodle would be crushed by unkind kids. Since we've heard Mrs. I's not looping next year, I'm desperately hoping that Moo gets her for a kindergarten teacher.

I did in fact alert Mrs. I to the missing attitude via email, and I received a reply:
"We found it. It waited for her in her locker. I hope she brought it home." I love that Mrs. I didn't think I was a total weirdo for sending the email, and played along with the Doodle. So thanks, Mrs. I!

I know it was around here somewhere.....

The Doodle had a rough day yesterday. It was back to school and a major letdown from spring break activities like Craftapalooza 2010 and trips to the aquarium and the nature museum (Thanks Hoosier Girl!). There was a meltdown before gymnastics and much infighting with Moobear. There was begging for sweets and TV. Then there was a naughty chair after Moo got hurt in the backyard and instead of helping her, Doodle hopped on the B*G Wheel she vacated and pedaled on. Finally, after Doodle calmed down, I asked her what happened to her good attitude? She started crying and in all seriousness said, "I left it at school in my locker and forgot to bring it home and now the school is locked!!!" More sobbing ensued. It took all of my willpower not to laugh. I just said, "Well, that is unfortunate." Then, I went out to the back deck where Dan was grilling and laughed until tears ran down my face. I MUST email the Doodle's teacher. We don't want to let that attitude escape when she opens her locker. Then we'll be in a world of hurt.

In other news, the Newbie is so addicted to chocolate that she is now trying to find wrappers in the garbage and lick the remaining chocolate off of them. Anybody have a lock on their garbage can? Perhaps those of you with pets could help me out with some suggestions?

Easter 2010

I posted more pictures from Easter in the slideshow on the right. I'm not sure why some are blurry--could be movement, even though I had the camera on the highest shutter speed possible, could be because the Newbie likes to lick the lens, could be my bad picture taking skills. Anyway, enjoy them. We discovered after a while that the Newbie could open the plastic eggs and was having a breakfast feast of chocolate. It's a good thing she's so cute, since she had us up almost all night the night before. My mom, brother and his boyfriend all spent the night, so we had a great time Easter morning.
The rest of my family joined us later in the day. We had a great meal, followed by an Easter pinata. I can't believe I didn't get any pictures of that!

Oh, and nobody tell my mom I posted pictures of her in her nightgown without makeup on the internet (I'm looking at you Auntie Marcia and Auntie Angie). I think she looks great, but she would freak out. Good thing she doesn't have a computer.

Heredity

The worst part of our collective genetics is being exercised in our children. The older girls had crowns put on 4 of their baby molars (3 for Moo, 1 for Doodle). The perfect storm of having teeth too close together(from me)and cavity attracting teeth (Dan). To top it all off with sprinkles, Doodle broke out in hives on the outside of her cheek after the procedure (hmmm, possible latex allergy--that's going to make for an interesting safe sex talk!). So, in addition to the dentist looking at me like I was a crack mother who gives my kids kool aid in flasks before bedtime (thanks for the image Jennifer!) I had to worry about the Doodle's new allergy.

Two days later, after removing a band aid on her face, she broke out into hives. Those are my genes, too, I have an allergy to colophony--which would not be a big deal, except that it means I can't decorate a real christmas tree, can't wear regular band aids and had several unfortunate incidents with waxing until I figured it all out. And of course, Doodle's a snotty mess now that spring has sprung, again, my bad genes. Truly, if this were prehistoric times, I would have been left by the herd and been eaten by a saber tooth tiger long before I procreated.

I've been giving her allergy meds, and asking Dan every day whether it's time to call the allergist. I think he's finally breaking down. I don't have the heart to tell Doodle about allergy testing and a possible childhood filled with allergy shots.

This morning, the Newbie started with the sniffles. And I think, nuts. I hope it's a cold. I would hope that after suffering the loss of her birthplace and her birth family, that she would at least be spared the worst of our crappy genetics and prove to be healthier and more fit than the rest of us. To have the benefit of the nurture without the crappiness of our combined natures. We'll see. Dan thinks it's allergies.

She likes it spicy!

This is just a quick post. We've been in the weeds for a while with various and sundry illnesses: tooth trouble, ear infections, hives, etc. More on that later.

Monday, Dan stayed home with the girls. The Newbie is in that stage where she likes to open and close everything-- cabinets, the garbage can, the recycling pail, etc. We're forever saying things like, "Get out of the trash!" "Do not play with the diaper pail!" "Do NOT put that in the toilet!" "Not for Newbies!"

Apparently, on Monday, the Newbie was digging in the trash, found a container of buffalo sauce and ate the heck out of it. I know, sooo gross. Dan found her, took a picture and emailed it to me at work (which was totally awesome). He then took the packet away and threw it in the garbage. Five minutes later, she had it again. Again, so gross. Eventually, Dan had to take the packet out to the alley garbage. We knew she loved spicy foods, but the buffalo sauce is new.

I apologize for the blurry picture. You know, heat of the moment and all of that!

Lost in Translation

Having two older sisters helps one's vocabulary I have learned, but it also tends to confuse things. At first, we could say to the Newbie, "Do you have stinky?" or "Are you stinky?" and she would point to her behind if she was indeed stinky. Sometimes she would point if we weren't even asking but needed a diaper change. Now if you ask her about the stinky, she reaches between her legs and pulls at the diaper in the crotch region like Madonna or, dare I say it, Michael Jackson?! We think she's trying to pull the diaper off, but who knows? I can't wait until she does it in public.

Also, if you ask her where her butt is, she usually points to it (Thanks, Doodle!). However, she's been walking around asking for "butt" recently. You open the fridge and she starts getting exited, "Butt Butt Butt!" She walks around agitated, trying to get your attention, "Butt, butt, butt!" We've tried to get her to point, to no avail. Best we can tell, butt refers to milk and/or food. Pork butt, anyone? Another mystery. Also fun in public.

All of this language confusion behavior seems to fit her personality. She's in a nude streaking phase, loves to take off her shoes and socks, and if she can get her clothes off she also rips her diaper off. You can tell when it is starting because she unzips her footie pajamas and walks around like Elvis first. I've taken to double onesies during the day to thwart her, but with spring approaching I'm going to need a new plan. T-shirts don't always come off, but the pants do--sometimes with a little help from her sisters.

If I'm your spokesperson, we are in trouble

Part of my work is in diversity. I work in an industry that is not very diverse and I'm fortunate to work at an employer who cares. Today, though, I was participating in a seminar about the status of diverse women in the profession. There happened to be no diverse women at the presentation. Someone asked me how I felt about the content, "As the mother of an african-american girl." Now I know the person who was asking, and wasn't personally offended, but. The but is, we often ask the one diverse person in the room to represent the viewpoint off all people of their ethnic background--i.e. the one black person in the room is asked to respond with the thoughts, feelings, vision for the entire black community--as if there is one unified view, this person is privy to it and speaks for everyone. Well, people, if we have to ask the white mother of the black baby who isn't old enough to talk in complete sentences let alone participate in a profession to represent the experience of all diverse professional women, we've got some serious problems. I know I'm in tune with the issues and I never miss an opportunity to talk, but please!

On the flip side, as a white woman of a certain socio-economic status, I have the luxury of a host of positive stereotypes attached to me. I could, before the Newbie, look at issues of race and ethnicity and racism in a more academic, detached way (at least until we told people we were adopting from Ethiopia and that is a story for another day)-- understanding, and being upset, but not feeling or being in the moment in an authentic way, if you know what I mean. I've had some experiences when I've been with my dad and stepmom (interracial marriage) that prepared me, but at some point it becomes even more personal in that hey, people, you're talking about my future child (or child who is home)here!!! I don't have that luxury to be anonymous or detached now and I don't miss it. I am grateful for these opportunities to peek behind the curtain. I'll never have the true experience of being black or ethiopian in america, but these moments help me "get it" in a visceral way. There is a difference between understanding the concept and being the target of it. The difference between reading about the experiences of other transracial families and standing in a grocery store and having comments or looks directed at you and your family. I'm grateful because each time something like this happens, I can be a more understanding and better momma to my Newbie and an example to her sisters. I'm certainly not naive about the world out there and I want to arm all of my children with an understanding of how the world, rather unfortunately, works. Racism is out there and to ignore it or pretend the world is colorblind is doing our children a disservice.