I don't like it.
I don't like it.
I don't like it.
I don't like it.
I don't like people being upset in this house.
It makes me upset.
It makes me sing this angry song.
-Jonah
Age 3 3/4
High Summer Lunch Salad
5 days ago
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Maple Syrup & Marching Through the Woods
This weekend the whole family (along with my parents and siblings and their significant others & kids which equals - 14 people!) packed up and headed to Cunningham Falls. For those of you not from Maryland area it's somewhere near Camp David.
So to Thurmont we went for the Maryland Maple Syrup demonstration. We learned how they tapped the trees, looked inside some of the pails to see the sap collected, and chowed on some pancakes smothered in...you guess it, the golden amber good stuff.
After we ate we hiked to the falls. Dave and Ellie climbed to the top while Jonah and I stayed below.
Here are a couple pics from our outdoor adventure...
For more pictures click here.
So to Thurmont we went for the Maryland Maple Syrup demonstration. We learned how they tapped the trees, looked inside some of the pails to see the sap collected, and chowed on some pancakes smothered in...you guess it, the golden amber good stuff.
After we ate we hiked to the falls. Dave and Ellie climbed to the top while Jonah and I stayed below.
Here are a couple pics from our outdoor adventure...
For more pictures click here.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
What Retro Family Are We Most Like?
From the ridiculous chair dancing to the tiny living room where everything happens, we are the Coopuxtables.
You can take the Car & Caboodle quiz to see what retro family you are by clicking on the link below.
You can take the Car & Caboodle quiz to see what retro family you are by clicking on the link below.
Which Retro TV Family is Most Like Yours? |
| My Result: The Huxtables |
 |
| Take this quiz & get your result |
Monday, March 16, 2009
Parenting
Yesterday as we were in line at the movie store, Ellie tapped me, asked me to lean down and then whispered in my ear: "Mommy, I'm afraid I'm not like other girls because I like boy things."
Now as I write this, it seems almost sweet. But there was a look in her eyes. A real and deep fear that she wasn't normal. Tears started welling up in her eyes and she buried her head in my chest and started to cry.
Apparently she was looking at a box of whoppers featuring a batman logo. She thought it looked cool. You see recently, Ellie has developed an interest in comic books. In particular she enjoys a series called Tiny Titans. We read them often, making up voices for the different characters, taking turns yelling when the characters yell, and giggling at the silliness.
But the problem occurred when one of the girls at school asked Ellie what princess she liked Ellie and replied, "I'm not really into princesses anymore." The girl gasped publicly and laughed. For Ellie, this was as if someone branded her with a big scarlet letter across her chest. She felt ashamed.
Now I can't express how this made me feel as a parent. A whole host of my own baggage came bubbling to the surface. Like the time in second grade when I was branded green pepper girl for a month because I ate the green peppers my mom packed in my lunch.
But I think the deepest feeling I had was one of failure.
I have always been cognizant of the marketing of items towards girls. How the mainstream culture has targeted our girls at younger and younger ages. From High School Musical (which is rather innocuous at first blush but frankly I find it to be a story about high school and I don't want my six year old thinking about the glamor of high school quite yet) to Hannah Montana (which is another teen whose image is plastered on size 4T clothing) to Libby Lu and their make up parties.
And Dave and I have both tried very hard to point out that these items are trying to sell an idea to the kids. I mean I have a degree in psychology, Dave has developed ad campaigns. I think we know a thing or two about what lies beneath the marketing. We (my mom, my sister and myself) started Ellie Bellie Kids because we wanted to bring a fresh perspective on childhood. It's not glamorous to be older. What's important is being who we are and enjoying the moment we're in. But Dave and my attempts are small compared to the machines.
Now honestly, I have no problem (AGAIN I HAVE NO PROBLEM) with pink, frills, feathers, sparkly shoes, etc. etc. I have no problem if a girl is a full on Fancy Nancy girly girl! It's okay to like girly things. Heck, I made tutus for girls for crying out loud!! You don't get much more girly girl than that!
And I do NOT believe the answer lies in burning Barbies. I just feel that our mothers and grandmothers fought too hard for us to not teach our daughters that there is a duality in each of us. We're not all pink all the time. We're not all batman loving all the time. We're a combination of these things. And it's okay to like whatever we like and NO one should be given the power to make us feel bad about it.
I hugged Ellie right there next to the malted milk balls and held her hand all the way home as she cried. I tried to explain that friends who make us feel bad about ourselves aren't real friends. That grown ups know that the world isn't simply divvied up into boy things and girl things and one day those girls will too. That she is normal. That we love her no matter what.
But later that night, I cried. This is just kindergarten. This is just the beginning.
Now as I write this, it seems almost sweet. But there was a look in her eyes. A real and deep fear that she wasn't normal. Tears started welling up in her eyes and she buried her head in my chest and started to cry.
Apparently she was looking at a box of whoppers featuring a batman logo. She thought it looked cool. You see recently, Ellie has developed an interest in comic books. In particular she enjoys a series called Tiny Titans. We read them often, making up voices for the different characters, taking turns yelling when the characters yell, and giggling at the silliness.
But the problem occurred when one of the girls at school asked Ellie what princess she liked Ellie and replied, "I'm not really into princesses anymore." The girl gasped publicly and laughed. For Ellie, this was as if someone branded her with a big scarlet letter across her chest. She felt ashamed.
Now I can't express how this made me feel as a parent. A whole host of my own baggage came bubbling to the surface. Like the time in second grade when I was branded green pepper girl for a month because I ate the green peppers my mom packed in my lunch.
But I think the deepest feeling I had was one of failure.
I have always been cognizant of the marketing of items towards girls. How the mainstream culture has targeted our girls at younger and younger ages. From High School Musical (which is rather innocuous at first blush but frankly I find it to be a story about high school and I don't want my six year old thinking about the glamor of high school quite yet) to Hannah Montana (which is another teen whose image is plastered on size 4T clothing) to Libby Lu and their make up parties.
And Dave and I have both tried very hard to point out that these items are trying to sell an idea to the kids. I mean I have a degree in psychology, Dave has developed ad campaigns. I think we know a thing or two about what lies beneath the marketing. We (my mom, my sister and myself) started Ellie Bellie Kids because we wanted to bring a fresh perspective on childhood. It's not glamorous to be older. What's important is being who we are and enjoying the moment we're in. But Dave and my attempts are small compared to the machines.
Now honestly, I have no problem (AGAIN I HAVE NO PROBLEM) with pink, frills, feathers, sparkly shoes, etc. etc. I have no problem if a girl is a full on Fancy Nancy girly girl! It's okay to like girly things. Heck, I made tutus for girls for crying out loud!! You don't get much more girly girl than that!
And I do NOT believe the answer lies in burning Barbies. I just feel that our mothers and grandmothers fought too hard for us to not teach our daughters that there is a duality in each of us. We're not all pink all the time. We're not all batman loving all the time. We're a combination of these things. And it's okay to like whatever we like and NO one should be given the power to make us feel bad about it.
I hugged Ellie right there next to the malted milk balls and held her hand all the way home as she cried. I tried to explain that friends who make us feel bad about ourselves aren't real friends. That grown ups know that the world isn't simply divvied up into boy things and girl things and one day those girls will too. That she is normal. That we love her no matter what.
But later that night, I cried. This is just kindergarten. This is just the beginning.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
The Musings of a Baby Bird Named Jonah
Baby Bird likes girls the most.
He thinks they are the specialest.
He thinks Ellie is the specialest,
and Mommy is the specialest too.
He thinks they are the specialest.
He thinks Ellie is the specialest,
and Mommy is the specialest too.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Quality TV
Oh the debate: Can tv be of any quality? When I flashback to some of my fondest childhood memories, tv comes up in more than a few of them. My favorite one is getting up early on Saturday morning, fixing myself a yummy bowl of Waffle-O's (a mixture of cardboard, sugar and enough imitation maple flavoring to cover up the fact we were eating recycled tree pulp), turning on the old picture box and settling in for a morning of mind numbingly good entertainment.
Of course as a parent, I am deeply concerned about what my kids watch. More importantly how much of it. But a little secret between you and me? I don't think tv is really all that bad. Well, mostly not all that bad. Well, okay mostly all bad but with some nuggets of good here and there.
Listen, I deeply believe that imaginative play, without the use of electronics, is a corner stone for a child's success in life. But frankly, I also see that tv can sometimes, (I should shout the phrase in moderation here for idiots who will take this and use it to rationalize why their kid should be allowed to watch 5 hours of crap tv a day) enhance a child's ability to be creative.
I know, I know. Poppycock you say.
But I'm not ready to go whole hog down the anti-tv route. True, I'm incredibly selective about what my kids can watch. So no HSM movies, no Hannah Montanna, no Zac and Cody yet. They're still too young and impressionable. Shows glamorizing high school, adults as pals rather than mentors, and featuring really dreadfully unimaginative scripts aren't appropriate for my 3 and 6 year old. Not appropriate even if the powers that be, do everything they can to market to my preschooler and kindergartner. Don't think I haven't noticed you trying.
Luckily, right now, Dave and I are content with their favorite shows. Ones that we can watch with them.
When Ellie gets off the bus we have started a new tradition. A tradition of peppermint tea and a 30 minute cartoon episode of the Pink Panther. Frankly, the music alone is fantastic. But it's mildly harmless, silly and I like the fact that there's so much pantomime involved. It gives the kids a chance to read a character's body language and predict what will happen next.
The other show that Ellie has gone ga-ga over is Rocky and Bullwinkle. So naturally when I spied a copy of R&B season 3 on DVD in a Record and Tape traders I pounced on it. Last night we broke open the box and the kids got to watch an episode while I made dinner. When I peeked out of the kitchen to see how everyone was doing I was greeted by the sight of Jonah, Ellie and Dave all cuddled under a blanket giggling together.
Now I'll admit, the Pink Panther and Rocky and Bullwinkle don't teach kids reading, writing or arithmetic. But I do think the story telling in the shows is imaginative, the art creative and the stories, well...silly. And isn't silliness something that we can all do a little more with in our lives?
Of course as a parent, I am deeply concerned about what my kids watch. More importantly how much of it. But a little secret between you and me? I don't think tv is really all that bad. Well, mostly not all that bad. Well, okay mostly all bad but with some nuggets of good here and there.
Listen, I deeply believe that imaginative play, without the use of electronics, is a corner stone for a child's success in life. But frankly, I also see that tv can sometimes, (I should shout the phrase in moderation here for idiots who will take this and use it to rationalize why their kid should be allowed to watch 5 hours of crap tv a day) enhance a child's ability to be creative.
I know, I know. Poppycock you say.
But I'm not ready to go whole hog down the anti-tv route. True, I'm incredibly selective about what my kids can watch. So no HSM movies, no Hannah Montanna, no Zac and Cody yet. They're still too young and impressionable. Shows glamorizing high school, adults as pals rather than mentors, and featuring really dreadfully unimaginative scripts aren't appropriate for my 3 and 6 year old. Not appropriate even if the powers that be, do everything they can to market to my preschooler and kindergartner. Don't think I haven't noticed you trying.
Luckily, right now, Dave and I are content with their favorite shows. Ones that we can watch with them.
When Ellie gets off the bus we have started a new tradition. A tradition of peppermint tea and a 30 minute cartoon episode of the Pink Panther. Frankly, the music alone is fantastic. But it's mildly harmless, silly and I like the fact that there's so much pantomime involved. It gives the kids a chance to read a character's body language and predict what will happen next.
The other show that Ellie has gone ga-ga over is Rocky and Bullwinkle. So naturally when I spied a copy of R&B season 3 on DVD in a Record and Tape traders I pounced on it. Last night we broke open the box and the kids got to watch an episode while I made dinner. When I peeked out of the kitchen to see how everyone was doing I was greeted by the sight of Jonah, Ellie and Dave all cuddled under a blanket giggling together.
Now I'll admit, the Pink Panther and Rocky and Bullwinkle don't teach kids reading, writing or arithmetic. But I do think the story telling in the shows is imaginative, the art creative and the stories, well...silly. And isn't silliness something that we can all do a little more with in our lives?
Monday, March 09, 2009
A Favorite Thing of Ours
Ellie and I love these Felt Hair Accessories by Jen Menkhaus. Now I love supporting my fellow Baltimore peeps, true. But her creations are so fun and playful that I'd buy them from her even if she lived far away! Love, love LOOOOVE her clips and headbands!
Saturday, March 07, 2009
My Favorite Things
We have been welcomed as a sponsor on My Favorite Things. Loooove this site! Go visit. I promise you'll love it too.
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