I usually don't get into this but...

I usually don't get into things like this, but today I am fuming! Have yall heard of the 'barefoot bandit'? (White teen male who went on a 2 year crime spree that spanned the US and the Bahamas, maybe even Canada, I can't remember) The kid has tens of thousands of fans on facebook. (Really????) Young people all over the world were rooting for him to continue to evade arrest. The story is alluring, captivating and draws people in. Kids are idolizing him and living vicariously through him. Dude's even got an extensive Wikipedia page.

Let me back up... here's the reason I am fuming: while on our morning walk I was listening to NPR. There was an hour-long call in show dedicated to Colton Harris-Moore (the barefoot bandit.) Callers were hailing his crime spree as nothing more than a need for adventure, a challenge and an escape from his 'hard life.' Young and old alike were defending him, making him out to be a sweet kid who just needed a little more love and attention. Some agreed that he needed help, but the overarching theme was that he was a harmless thrill seeking child.

The article I linked to above quotes a woman who called him 'intelligent, polite, and friendly.' She even started collecting donations before he was ever caught to cover his legal fees and defense costs.... Is this outrageous to anyone else?

Ok, here's my question and the main reason I am so upset by all of this madness: Change NOTHING about this kid but the color of his skin...and do you think the reactions would be the same?

It's sad to say, but if he were of Middle Eastern descent, he would most likely be labeled a terrorist in training or something of the sort; if he were Hispanic, most likely he would be called 'illegal'; and if he were an African American teen, Lord knows he would most likely be suspected of unsolved murders, rapes and the like in every state where he had committed other crimes.

If you really look at this story, you can't tell me that racism is dead in our society! We think we have come so far, and pat ourselves on the back for all our efforts toward racial equality, but look at this??? Is this sickening to anyone else?

Almost surely 90% of teens (race aside) who commit crimes of any sort could be classified as needing attention, love and have probably come from less than ideal backgrounds, but lets say this kid was black, who in their right mind thinks the media would portray this side of him?

Instead they would use words more closely related to thug, gang-banger, violent, dangerous. You can bet your bottom dollar that you wouldn't be reading words like "smart, intelligent, and friendly" in a newspaper article about the African American teen who went on a 2 year crime spree.

This makes me sick. Maybe I am more sensitive to it because of some of this things we are talking about at church these days... but I was about to jump out of my skin as I was listening! If only I would have had my cell phone at the time I probably would have called and posed the question to them. "What if ONLY his skin color were different?" (actually, do you think the phone screener would have even put me through?)

bathtub painting

Kids love painting. I hate the mess. This afternoon we needed an activity, and this one lasted for at least an hour. That's success, if you ask me.
Tape butcher paper all around the walls of the bathtub...strip them down to their skivvies and give it a go. We used finger paint and Crayola art paint.

When they have finished the masterpiece, just take a bath, spray out the tub and done!


Harper learned a new word during this activity: V-jay-jay.... um, because she started painting hers....Of course, both girls thought this was the funniest thing ever... I'm like, whatever, you are laughing and not crying or fighting... so I'm cool with it.

So, you don't want to take a nap???

Grace told me that today she didn't really want to take a nap.

I responded: "Oh, Grace, I have been waiting for you to tell me that! I am so happy! Now you can help me clean, sweep, mop, do the dishes and laundry! So, what do you want to do first?"

Immediately she responded with a fake yawn and stretched her hands back and said "But I am really tired, and I think I want to go to bed..."

my.job.done. :)

one year ago....

One year ago...July 09

Looking back at these pictures, I can not believe how much they have grown!

Look at this baby!!! Harps isn't really a baby anymore, she's a toddler! I am in shock....
...And this toddler is no longer a toddler, she is becoming a big girl, learning to sound out her letters and to write her name.
I have a love/hate relationship with the baby stage... Looking at this scrumptious picture, I want another one (Chris just keeled over in his chair... someone revive him please)... but then I quickly remember the screaming, sleepless nights and the lack of communication skills... and I come back to reality and realize that I still want to wait a few years before even thinking about another...

Every parent knows that some days you simply don't 'like' your children. I mean, you always love them, but you know what I mean... so when I have days when the 'like' factor is low, I need to remember to go back and look at their cute little chubby baby faces, because it's really making the 'like' factor go up!

(grace... Sept 08)
I needed to look at her cute chubby baby face today, if you know what I mean...:)

Lovely things about a sick day

Sometimes you just have to look on the bright side, when all you really want to do is crawl under the covers. No one is feeling exceptionally lovely today, but after a few doses of ibuprofen we had a couple moments of greatness: Exhibit A: RAIN. I love it, it is refreshing, soothing, and a summer storm is just the ticket, if you ask me. A little dance in the rain is sure to make a girl feel better, even for a moment.
Exhibit B: Magazines, glue, scissors, crayons and the like. Although Harper smeared almost a whole stick of glue on her face, under her nails, and in her mouth, we still managed to have enough to make a pretty sweet collage. This used to be one of my absolute favorite things to do as an older child, and I think the girls liked it too. Grace's cutting skills are pretty darn impressive these days. She can now cut objects out of a magazine with precision...in other words, when she is done cutting it out, you can actually still recognize what the object is.

And here are some other pretty great things that happened today:
1. Mom found me an absolutely gorgeous Anthropologie dress, and shirt, and a couple things for the kids (at the goodwill of course) and dropped them by.
2. It is still raining
3. The girls seem to be napping well
4. There have only been a few fits and fights despite the very fragile feelings that sickness brings out
5. We all ate yogurt and baked lays for lunch
6. I know there are a couple more things I was going to write, but my ibuprofen is wearing off, and I need to go take some more so I can get my clear head back!!!