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.

2030 Olympics, Here we come!

Overheard yesterday:

Doodle: Moo, Mom says there are bobsleds that can hold 4 people in them!

Moo: Bobsleds?

Doodle: Yeah, like on the Olympics.

Moo: Oh.

Doodle: We can be a team! A USA team! You, me and the Newbie.

Moo: That's THREE, not four.

Doodle: Oh, then Katie can be on our team, too. All four of us. We can go to the 'lympics.

Moo: Cool.

Doodle: I like to go fast. And I can drive.

Wow, if my younger brother is feeling old...

I got this today from my younger brother. He's 32. He works at a large university.

From Aaron: Here’s a conversation I had this morning with some student employees:

Students: That “We Are The World” song for Haiti is not that good considering how many stars are in it.

Aaron: Yes, I prefer the original version.

Students: What do you mean original version?

Aaron: The original version was recorded in the 80’s for Africa famine relief. That’s why the new version is called “We Are The World 25.”

Students: Oh, so that’s why those old clips of Michael Jackson are part of it. I thought 25 was referring to the number of people who were singing the song together.

Aaron: No, it’s called 25 because the original song came out 25 years ago. Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie wrote the song.

Students: Who’s Quincy Jones?

Aaron: Quincy Jones was Michael Jackson’s main producer back in the day. You guys seriously have never heard the original version of the song?

Students: No, like you said, that was 25 years ago. We’re all 19.

Updates

Well, the one person who reads my blog faithfully, my Auntie Marcia, has reminded me that it has been a while since I posted. I have a few posts in me, but thought I would give an update on the girls and what has been going on in our lives recently.

Doodle: We went to our second conference at school and she is doing great. She loves school and is making friends. She still has the love/hate relationship with this one little boy. The teacher knows all about our family, and asked if she might be so fascinated because he was brown like her Newbie. We thought about it, but she doesn't seem so fascinated with the brown girls in her class, although some are friends. We actually think she's so interested because she doesn't hang out with many boys--and there are only three boys in her class. This one happens to sit at her table. We really like her teacher--the homework calendar for this month included some Black history items, so we are so excited.
Doodle came home with some valentines from her valentines day party, so that was good. One never knows, but she was excited with her haul. Of course, the night before she tells me that she needs to bring a box for her valentines, so we are up late covering a box with wrapping paper and stickers. Typical. That in addition to the packet we need to do for student of the week, the usual homework, and reading. Kindergarten is so hard!
Doodle loves the Olympics, and will watch until we let her fall asleep on the couch (don't judge, she doesn't have school today). Even though she's been drawing pictures of ice skaters, she likes to watch the skiing best. She's particularly excited to see bobsledding, because it has the word "sled" in it. She spent the afternoon sledding off of the back stairs of our deck.

MooBear: Poor Moo had the croup and then got a double ear infection. Thank god for the pink medicine. It's weird that she had the croup at 5 years old, but whatever. At least it wasn't strep. About half of her preschool class was out last week with step. All of our three girls eventually got the croup, but Moo was the sickest.
Lately she's been really into drawing and making valentines and art. Her drawing/fine motor is really coming along. She's also very into legos. I've been telling the girls I'm not particularly good at legos. Dan makes these great things-- a crocodile, a shark, a plane. I have a complex. So this weekend I made a house. Moo told me it was just "ok" Nice blow to the ego there.

Newbie: What can I say? She's a handful. Her language is exploding. New words include: cool, what? (said with attitude), butt (thanks to Doodle), cocoa and mine. When Dan went to wake her up a few days ago, she responded with, "What???!!"
She's happy and stubborn and fun all at the same time. She's been sleeping better and for that I am grateful. She no longer wants to eat in her high chair, so I'm constantly trying to put food in front of her. Her weight has dropped a bit since she has become mobile, so I'm trying to keep her calories up.

At her last pediatrician appointment, she peed on the length measuring thing, shredded the paper on the table and escaped nude into the hallway when the nurse came in to ask us a question. Dr. Laura told me I finally had my boy.

The nice thing when Newbie was sick was that she would actually cuddle with us for more than 5 seconds. So much fun for me!

We've been working on her hand strength, so I got her a water table and those little animals that squirt so she can work her hands. She loves it!! We've tried playdough too, but she's afraid of it.

We got her new shoes, and her feet are two different sizes. She had a full on temper tantrum in the shoe store, which was fun. She wanted to go out in the mall. She would step outside the carpeted area of the store and then look back at me and start to walk out. I'd then have to carry her back screaming. If I focused on Doodle's shoes she would go out again. I eventually worked out a system with the shoe woman, that I would focus on one of the other girls and if she saw the Newbie try to escape, she would let me know. At the end, the saleslady complimented me on my patience. Sigh.

As for me, I got the croup, too, but am finally feeling better. I'll write more soon!

He's the Ethiopian Ski Team!!

Ethiopia has one skier in the Winter Olympics. Click here for a short video. Click here for an article.

We'll be cheering for him!