Friday Round-up: Race and ethnicity in children's toys

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I remember her well. She had creamy white skin. Blond hair. A sweet painted face. And the best part--she could drink real water and then go pee!

It was the 1970's and Baby Tender Love was all the rage.

So I was ecstatic when my grandfather, who was visiting from California, brought two baby dolls for my sister and I. My sister opened hers first, and as I was tearing through the wrapping, I could hardly wait to see my dollie's face.

And then I was shocked. While my sister's was the doll had peach-colored skin, mine had dark brown.

Grandpa had brought a white one and a black one so we could tell them apart.

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I'm ashamed to say that I was quite disappointed when I received the dark skinned doll. I had never seen an African American person, much less an African American doll. How could I "mother" a baby who didn't look like me at all? I burned with envy that my sister got the white one.

(Now, part of that desire for a white dolly could be attributed to the dumb-ass my mom was married to at the time, who was a prejudiced A-hole and called my doll racist names. The dumb-ass's opinions in no way reflected my mother's opinions at all and I'm happy to say that the dumb-ass wasn't around for much longer after that. But I digress.....)

But likely, the bigger reason I wanted that white doll was because I didn't really understand that people came in a variety of colors, much less that dolls did too. I grew up in a very small town where pretty much everyone was white. I had never seen an African American, Asian. The only other racial group I had ever seen was Hispanics.

All the faces in my books were white. The faces on TV were mostly white. People on billboards were white. White was what I was used to seeing.

Of course, part of this was the time period I was raised in (the 70s)--a time before the word diversity was used on a daily basis. In fact, I'm quite surprised they even had any dolls of color at all, and somewhat impressed that my grandfather would buy one.

This incident highlights to me why it's important for children--all children--to see more than one race depicted in the things they play, watch, and read. It also illustrates that children love to see their faces reflected in their play toys. One day, my son probably will too.

Forty years later, things have changed a little. The majority of images/toys/books you will see depict Caucasians. As a white woman, I never had a reason to notice these things before we became an interracial family.

Here's the facts: according to the 2008 Census data, our country is predominately white. Six main races are recognized in the U.S.: White, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander. Those categorized as white comprise 75-80% of our population (via American Community Survey (ACS) and Population Estimates Program respectively.)

Advertisers market to the biggest portion of the population. That's the white portion. So, production for children's goods follows suit. I get that. But even if I were parenting a white child, I'd still be adamant about showing a wider range of diversity in their toy box. The real world is not one color.

So here's what it looks like from my new perspective. In the Midwest, the white population is between 83-85%. We don't see a ton of diversity in the toys/books offered in our area, and we aren't seeing it in our population either. Little Man is surrounded by white, much like I was as a child. White families in story books. White faces on play toys. White faces in advertisement. White faces on billboards. White faces on TV.

What to do? We have to be diligent about ensuring our beautiful Asian boy sees his beautiful features & culture reflected back in some of his toys, movies we watch, and books. We've sought out music, books, toys, and games that have more racial diversity.

It will take more than books and artwork, we know. But right now, those things will help him begin to understand inclusion, and that there are many shades of people we share the world with. It's about tolerance for things that are different. It's about pride in himself and his culture. It's about him not being shocked when he gets a doll that isn't white.

As I said, the real world is not one color. Even though sometimes, it can seem that way.

Here's some sources for Asian-related toys and dolls that we have found helpful.


Dolls:
Lewis
Bedtime Dolls for Asian Children
Live and Learn's Asian Dolls

Books:
San Francisco Kid's Public Library Asian Heritage Reading List
National Education Association's Asian American Booklist
Favorite Asian Children's Books

Toys:
Asian Play Food
Wok and Roll
Plan Toy Doll House: Asian Family
Stir Fry Slicing Set
Pretend Play Family
Just Kidz Beauty Makeover Styling Head

Book club anyone?

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I just picked up a copy of Sherrie Eldridge's book 20 Things Adoptive Parents Need to Succeed. It's a follow-up book to her first, "Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew".

I read the first one while we were waiting for Little Man to come home (read our review HERE) and I liked the directness of the author. It probably bears going back and re-reading at some point.

Just got the new book and it's starting out just as well as the first one. She worked with about 100 families that represent all stages of adoption (waiting, new parents, parents with children who are struggling, parents of adult adoptees, etc.) and has also added her own expertise as an adoptee as well.

She's covering some excellent topics, many of which are pertinent to our family right now. Some chapters discuss: knowing when and how to talk about adoption, knowing that being different is a good thing, how to handle the "real-parent" question, discovering what really comforts your child, honoring your child birth parents, parent/child intimacy, dealing with perfectionism (I might have to read this chapter many, many times before it sinks in, lol!), and several other great topics.

I've only read the introduction, but I've already found food for thought:

"Success doesn't depend on your child's choices.
Your child's positive, negative, or passive response to all of your input doesn't indicate success. Isn't that a relief? All adopted people ultimately make choices and must live with the consequences of those choices, even though you are constantly cheering them on with unconditional love."

I really love this. I mean, on one hand, you know that your children will do what they are going to do. But I feel this weight that if I don't do just the right things, or have all the right information, and LM has struggles down the road, it will be my fault. Mommy guilt I guess.

So this helps me put it into perspective a bit. And give me some boundaries to separate LM's choices from mine. I never thought about defining what it will mean to be a successful parent. Yes, I would love to see LM be a successful person in society, but what does that mean? And if he isn't successful, does that reflect back on my parenting? Does it mean that I've failed? Can I separate my need for success from his?

I just love all these thought provoking issues, and definitely take comfort in knowing that others have experienced the same emotions and thoughts. Of course, I know I'm totally overthinking much of this stuff. Shouldn't I be able to just focus on being a mom, and quit obsessing about these things? (The answer is probably yes, but I'm just not wired that way.)

Learning how to get closer to my son, and understanding how adoption shapes our family is really important to me. And I obsess. So...this is a great book for me right now. And seeing as how there are discussion/support group discussions at the end of each chapter, I thought, wow, this might be a fun book to talk about with other folks. And by other folks, I mean YOU.

So, I ask you, are you as obsessive as I am? Are you interested in reading along? Or if you have already read it, maybe you'd just like to chat about it? Nothing formal or fancy. Just some casual discussions.

Raise your hand if you are in! Anyone? Anyone?? I promise not to go all book-club perfectionist on you and freak out if you didn't do the week's reading. I'm happy to host and I'll even serve tea and crumpets. (OK, maybe that part isn't exactly true. But I'll likely be crunching on Cheetos and gulping coffee.)

I'm going to start blogging about it, every other Monday, starting on August 8. I got my copy through Ama.zon and it was delivered in 2 days with free shipping! Also, it's available in a Kindle edition. The first chapter is 16 pages and is titled "Discover the Sweet Spot of Success. Learn Where to Experience Peace and Joy, No Matter What"

Hope you'll join me and I'll see you on the 8th!

Friday Round Up - The unroundup edition

Hey ho,

No time to do a proper round up today. Running out the door but had a few things to let you know about.

• LM went to the doc today for a 1-year-old check up. He's had a growth spurt and has grown 2 inches since we became a family! He's now in the 50th percentile for height and the 30th for weight!

• We had our first night feeding free night! Of course, the next night was a little more challenging. We'll see how tonight goes. But it feels like progress.

• We are hitting the road in a few minutes for this weekend's adventure. The Man is running the Tough Mudder! If you haven't heard of this race, you absolutely need to click on the link and see what crazy feat he's about to undertake.  Over 8 miles of running and obstacles--mud, ropes, climbing, tunnels, and electric wires. Wahooo! We are staying overnight near the race course and we'll be hanging with our closest friends. M is also running the race with The Man. To make the whole thing a little more fun, Mother Nature is upping the ante. The temps are insane here in the Midwest this week and there's a heat advisory out on race day too. Hopefully all that mud will keep the guys cool.Wish them luck!

• On Sunday, the racing continues. The Man has a bike race, although he might just watch from the sidelines depending on his recovery after Tough Mudder. But our racing buddy E will be staying with us and racing on Sunday, and I'll be racing the trail run in the AM. Obviously training hasn't been what it used to be, so we'll just see how things go.

• And speaking of our closest friends. They have a sweet girl named Princess Rosy Cheeks. She's almost two, and a very smart and fun little doll. Well, Princess Rosy Cheeks is going to be a big sister! We are so excited for them all!

OK. Caravan is about to depart.  I'd better get on board. Have a great weekend!

Smooch!

A Korean foster mother's story

I've often thought of LM's foster mother since he's been home. I know that although his stay with her was only about 5 months, it still must be painful. She doted on him and loved him very much.

As soon as we were home from Korea, I emailed our social worker in Korea so she could let Mrs. M and her family know that LM made the trip safely. And since we've been home, I've written her a letter with photos, but still need to get it in the mail. Must do it soon!!

I know LM misses her. Who knows if he remembers her face or not. He hasn't really responded to her photos. And I'm not sure he even recognized her voice when he heard it on a video. But I do know that the impression and emotional memories of her have lasted these past months.

A friend was surprised at this. "I thought he'd have forgotten her by now," he said. I was shocked at this notion. "Would your grandchild {a similar age} forget his mother after just a few months?" I asked. "Of course not," he responded. Why would LM be any different? Such strange notions people have about what adopted children feel and think.

Others have said, "he'll forget her soon," as if I'm pained by the fact that he had a foster mother at all. This drives me nuts! I'm glad he misses her. Glad he knows the value of someone who loves him. Glad that he connected to her so much that he grieves for her.

As these children grow, they may or may not have the chance to find their birth mothers. But they could have a chance to know their foster mothers, and that link to Korea might be very important to them down the road. Our hope is that LM will get to know Mrs. M one day. And can learn more about what he was like in the time before he joined our family. She may be a bridge for him, between this life, and his Korean life. What a wonderful and hopeful thought.

Until our adoption is finalized, we are not allowed to have direct contact with Mrs. M. All correspondence must go through our social worker. And the only way we can send her a package is to send it with another adoptive family who is making the trip.

That's fine for now. But after the finalization, we hope to have the channels of communication opened between our families. There will still be a communication challenge, but in the day of the internet, even that can be handled easily and quickly. I've heard of setting up a website where she can go to see photos and videos of him. No words are necessary to see how well he's growing!

Here's a link to a great story written by a Korean foster mother. I've wondered why these women do what they do, and this gave me a little insight. As the rules have changed now in Korea, there will be an even larger demand for foster parents. Hopefully all of them are as kind and loving as Mrs M, and the foster mother who wrote this piece:

Emma, Dear Baby

There are several really touching parts of the story. This quote really moved me because it echoed the hopes that we have, and some of the reasons we want to be able to stay in touch with the family:

"Adoptive parents have the worth and joy of raising the child. But foster mothers take care of babies under the proposition that those babies should leave them. This is impossible without considerable love. The relationship is formed only for a short time, but it cannot be ignored. A biological mother gives a baby her life, but a foster mother has the big responsibility of taking care of the baby until he or she is adopted. After they grow up, sometimes the children search for their biological mothers. If they can’t find their biological mothers, foster mothers become their only Korean acquaintances. Foster mothers watch them grow up from afar until they become adults who have overcome their conflict and pains."

It's that whole "it takes a village" notion, and who wouldn't want to stay in touch with the people who cared so carefully for your child?

Coincidentally, the link to this story was passed on by a fellow adoptive mother, Jane, who lives in North Carolina. We carried a package for the foster mother of Jane's son, who came home in Dec. 2010. When we delivered the package to our social worker, she noted that she was also Jane's social worker.

Small world!

Blog Roundup-7.15.2011

Big playground. Little Boy. © Cheese Curds and Kimchi

This week in Little Man's world:

• A new tooth! One morning he woke up and poof...there was #7. We thought he was working on new ones in the back so this front bottom one totally caught us by surprise. 

• LM discovered that there is this very intriguing hole just below Gus the dog's tail. Evidently he thought it required further investigation and probing. Often. Ew. And I can't figure out why Gus doesn't move! Double ew. We are working to discourage this, and I'm considering keeping the two separated (although I love LM's curiosity). Ew.
  

• He's started doing this funny little dance where he runs in place. Generally he breaks it out when he's really delighted about something. But it has made an appearance when he was angry and wasn't getting what he wanted. I've told him that it will lose it's cuteness and appeal if he uses it for that. We'll see if he listens.

• He took his first ride in the bike trailer this week! He seemed to enjoy it. At least we surmised that from the lack of crying. We have it hooked up to our vintage Schwinn tandem bike so we look like a semi on the bike path.

• He had his first swim lesson this week. Again, he seemed to enjoy it, but we have only determined this from the lack of crying. We'll see what his reaction is when we go back next week. 

• He's figured out how to scream softly in this really, really high pitched voice. Let's hope he doesn't start taking it up to full volume or the glass in our windows might shatter.
  

• We have started to phase out the night time bottle feedings. And LM wants you to know that he does not endorse this plan. He was having twice-nightly feedings before he came home and we continued that since we've been here. But it's time for that to end! 

Have a great weekend!



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To laugh: Top Five F**ked Up Nursery Rhymes (because I'm on this nursery rhyme kick right now.)

To play imaginatively: Ideas and Tools for Dramatic Play 

To say I LOVE YOU: Korean Word of the Day Episode #1



To celebrate: 20 Gifts of Adoption

To eat K-Drama style: Kdrama food (awesome Korean recipes!)

To buy: Friends With You

For the best breakfast ever: Stuffed French Toast

Nursery rhymes you'll never sing again

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Me, singing:
There was an old lady who swallowed a fly.
I don't know why she swallowed a fly.
Perhaps she'll die.

Me, thinking:
Really? A children's song about a woman's possible choking death? I can't have that right.

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Little Man absolutely hates getting his diaper changed and isn't so fond of getting dressed either, but when I sing, he stops crying right away. (I'm not a good singer, so rest assured it has nothing to do with my voice. He just loves music!)

So I started digging nursery rhymes out of the depths of my brain during diaper changes, and presto! No more tears. Except I couldn't remember most of the words. Like when I tried to sing the old lady and fly song--was I remembering that correctly? Was it really about a woman dying? Seemed too morbid to be true.

Goo.gle to the rescue, and holy hell. The song actually is about a woman dying! Here's a link to the full lyrics. It's a long song that ends with the terrible lines:

"There was an old lady who swallowed a horse. She's dead--of course."

What the what?? This is totally morbid! And then I started looking up lyrics to others.
And folks, there are a lot of really ridiculous nursery rhymes out there.

Take the sweet song of Clementine. It's usually belted out by children with a country twang Loretta Lynn would envy--

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"Oh my darlin'.
Oh my darlin'.
Oh my darlin' Clementine!"

Well, that song is about beautiful little Clementine, who drowns to death, and her miner father's mourning and eventual suicide. And then the song goes on to tell how her dead body fertilizes roses and that the man who loved Clementine wasn't into necrophilia, and finally, the moral of the story--if the miner father knew artificial respiration, he could have saved her and avoided all this tragedy.

Seriously! Read for yourself HERE.

Turns out that many of these really old nursery rhymes are are from the way back olden days and have quite a meaning to them. They often tell of events in history, such as "Ring Around the Rosy" which suggested to be a recanting of the bubonic plague! (However, snopes.com calls that theory bunk, and suggests the song refers to the Protestant's religious ban on dancing in the 19th century.)

Often they are about free speech or political satire at a time when such commentary would mean execution.  "Three Blind Mice" is about devout Catholic, Queen Mary I, who had three Protestant noblemen burnt at the stake.

Some are less obvious. "Jack and Jill" is about King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, who fell from power and were both beheaded in 1783.

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And finally, some rhymes are actually (gasp) educational such as "Baa Baa Black Sheep" which recounts the importance of wool in the middle ages. The teaching of moral lessons is also used in rhymes, such as in "Little Bo Peep", reminding children about the consequences of being irresponsible. I guess the Clementine song could fit into this category. The moral of the story being, don't drown or you'll end up fertilizing flowers.

This whole thing is quite fascinating to me. Who knew that those innocent little ditties we sang as children weren't quite so innocent. Of course, I still don't know the words to most of them, so I guess if I make up my own, they might be less gruesome than the real thing.

If you want to know more, check out these fantastic sites:



Nursery Rhymes--Lyrics, origins and history
The Hidden History of Nursery Rhymes
24 Terrifying, Thoughtful and Absurd Nursery Rhymes
Lullaby Lyrics-A primer

Getting to know you

I'm a bit behind catching you up on last week's adventures. First, wanted to tell you about LM's first visit with his grandparents.

My parents arrived on July 2 to meet their 6th grand-child. From the first minute at the airport, LM was very comfortable and happy with them. He spent the week dazzling them with his smile, showing them his best tricks, and kept us all laughing.

He also learned how to ride the big horse (Grandpa's knees) and perfected his wave! (He had lots of fun waving at them, and now is waving at everything, including the dog, birds outside of the window, and random people at the store.) When we weren't hanging out at home playing, we went for walks, played at the park, tried out the splash pad area at the mall (he's not a huge fan), watched a parade, braved a few restaurants, and got lots and lots of kisses.

For us, it was wonderful to view my parents in a new way. They've been grandparents for well over 20 years (the oldest grandchild just turned 23) but you learn something new about your parents when you see them interact with your child. And I've never thought about children having a different relationship with their grandparents than they do with their parents--I mean, the things LM likes to do with them are different than the things he does with us. (My knees aren't nearly as fun as Grandpa's!)

When I think back to my relationship with my grandparents, it was special and fun, but I'd never thought about it being unique between me and them. But of course it is, isn't it? And to watch this develop right before my eyes---such a super wonderful experience.

Thursday was LM's first birthday. Poor little thing had a doctor's appointment that day. We didn't do anything in particular, just enjoyed the day and opened presents throughout it. They helped us chase him around in his hanbok during his birthday photo shoot. We also had him in his birthday suit with a crown on. (I learned that baby wrangling for photo shoots is not The Man's forte, and being a baby photographer is really, really hard work!)

We ended the afternoon at our favorite Mexican restaurant and enjoyed the perfect weather on the patio. Margaritas for the grown-ups and a fried banana treat for LM! It was extra special to have them here for his first birthday. And something that we were delighted they made time to share with us.


The week went all too fast, and there were lots of tears when we had to drop them off at the airport. LM was sleeping when we made the stop, and when he got up the next morning, he ran out to the living room and seemed surprised that they weren't there to greet him. Poor little guy! And we were sad they weren't here too. Time just passes too fast.

No rest for the weary

7:58 p.m. LM is finally asleep.

7:59 p.m. I announce to The Man that I want to go to bed early. As in, right now. He wants to finish washing the dishes. Since I'm not helping, I decide I should at least stay up as a show of support.

8:20 p.m. Dishes are done and we decide to postpone bedtime to slurp down the last of the ice cream cake.

8:45 p.m. Ooops. Forgot to take out the dog.

9:05 p.m. Put some clothes away that were stacked on the bed.

9:30 p.m. Ahh. Finally in bed. The Man drifts off quickly. Of course.

10:03 p.m. LM starts to make noises. This is not a good sign. I check on him, and he settles back down.

10:24 p.m. LM fussing more. I check on him and he's sitting up. He lays back down and drifts off.

10:45 p.m. LM crying again. His teeth seem to be hurting so we give him some ibuprofen. Also decide to do a preemptive strike--change him a bit early, and give him a bottle. Rock with him in the chair. The man heads back to bed.

11:12 p.m. Just as LM is drifting off peacefully, we are disturbed by the loud clang of a metal trashcan lid smashing into the driveway. I grit my teeth and keep rocking.

11:14 p.m. A second garbage can lid hits the driveway. The Man has slept through both of these loud noises, and the Tropical Pug does too. LM, however, does not.

11:20 p.m. I roust The Man out of bed to find out what the racket is about, only to find a giant raccoon standing atop our garbage cans. We shoo him off, and relocate all the cans inside the garage.

11:31 p.m. I finally get to bed.

1:09 a.m. LM awake. Another bottle. More rocking. Finally asleep.

3:00 a.m. LM awake. I mean, AWAKE. He seems to think it's party time. I spend the next 1 1/2 hours trying to convince him otherwise.

4:38 a.m. I crawl back into bed, desperate for sleep. But instead, I'm wide awake.

6:15 a.m. I wake to the happy babbling of LM, who, after scant few hours of sleep is cheerfully ready to start the day. Mama is not in the same frame of mind.

6:32 a.m. I start chugging coffee and hoping that today's plan to go to bed early will actually work out.

Birthdays

Dear Birth Mother,

I've put off writing this letter for a few days. I needed some time to put my thoughts together. Yesterday was Little Man's first birthday. But I don't have to tell you that. I'm sure you remember the date. It's hard to believe that one year ago such a wonderful person was brought into the world. And one year ago, we were waiting on the other side of the world, hoping there was a child out there for us.

It's amazing what a difference 365 days has made in all of our lives.

I wonder if you thought of him yesterday. I wish I knew if you thought of him with sadness, or if the memory was just a passing thought as you noted the date.

Little Man's year has been full of changes and loss. That's pretty tough for me to really comprehend. He's had so much heartbreak in his first 12-months and he doesn't have the ability to really understand most of it. He experiences this pain on a purely raw emotional level and it can be heartbreaking to bear witness to.

But you should know this about him--he's also resilient and happy, and I believe that has come, in part, from the blessings he's had in his life. He is fortunate that his foster family treasured him and showered him with the love and care he needed to grow strong. He had the guidance and wisdom of workers at the agency who watched over him since birth, and eventually paired him with us. We hope that joining our family has been a blessing for him too. 

And among these blessings is also the decision that you and his birth father made to let LM go. I do not believe I could have made the same choice. But know that I do not judge your decisions at all. Who am I to judge what is right or wrong for your life? Only you could know this.

Many people see birth parents in two extreme ways. As villians or heros. Birth mothers are judged particularly harshly, seen as selfish and uncaring. Or often we cast her image aside, believing she was a woman of loose morals.

Of course, some people take the opposite view--saying she must have loved this child so much she let him go. Or perhaps there were factors beyond her control that forced her into this decision. Lack of money, lack of support, cultural stigma, or her family forced her to do it. These people imagine the birth mother sobbing as she saw the face of her baby and has carried that image with her ever since. And as the child's birthday rolls around, many assume that the date is painful and heartbreaking for her to experience.

You may fit into one of those categories. But the bottom line is, I have no idea if that is true or not. I don't know why you made your decision or how you felt about it. It's tempting to try and protect LM from more hurt, and to give him the sugar-coated version of how he came to us. Tempting to imagine you as selfless woman who chose to offer her son a better life by walking away from him.

I wish for his sake it was true. But I can't do that. I can't fill him with false hope and the belief that if you could have kept him, you would. You carried him in your belly for nearly 9-months and he grew to know your rhythms, your voice, your emotions. And then you moved on. Those memories live deep within him. And present or not, you will continue to be a part of his life.

The why behind your decision is something he will likely ask me about. And it's a piece of his past that I just can't give him. My heart aches for the day that I try to explain that to him.

We are mothers to the same child. I won't lie--sometimes don't like sharing the title of mama with you. Sometimes I'm selfish and want to have him all to myself. But without you, I would not know a love for this sweet child that grows stronger each day.

And because you are part of that boy who brings such richness to my life, I will protect your image. I will protect him from those who want to vilify you, or put you on a pedestal. I will keep the pages in your chapter of his life blank, and hope that one day you can help him fill them in. Until then, all I can tell him about your decision is that is you were a woman, making the best decision for your life that you could, at that particular time. No more. No less.

I do this for him. Because he deserves it.

Yesterday, I acknowledged the great gift that you brought to the world a year ago. Intentional or not, you created a remarkable child, one who shares his laughter, smiles and spirit with those around him. For that, I hold you in my heart, and am thankful every day that we are the ones who are fortunate enough to call him our son.

Friday Round Up-7.1.2011

Hi there peeps,

Gotta keep this short today. As much as I love chatting with you all, I have to keep moving. LM is napping which means Mama has a brief interlude in which she must cram all the activities that do not involve LM, such as mopping and scrubbing the toilet.

What a glamorous life we lead!

In LM news:: he's sporting two new teeth, which brings our running total up to 6. The lack of teeth definitely does not slow this child down in the eating department though. We are constantly amazed at how much he can cram in at every meal. It's really impressive!

He's also really into climbing. Mama is not so into this new skill. It freaks The Mommy out when she turns to see her LM  proudly stands atop the couch, big smile in place, and clapping his hands. The Mommy lunges for LM, because she envisions him losing his balance, toppling over backwards and cracking the base of his fragile skull on the lovely mid-century modern coffee table below him. So the words "sit down!" are being used with increasing regularity.

However, LM's other new trick this week was to learn how to safely get off the couch by himself! I'm super impressed (and proud) that he figured this out. It's awesome that he can get off intentionally, but I'm still terrified about that unintentional dismount that's inevitably coming.

We have two HUGE things coming up this week! First, LM's gets to meet one set of his grandparents for the first time! My folks are coming out from the west coast, arriving on Saturday (hence the mopping and toilet scrubbing today) and spending a week here at Pugville. We are so thrilled to have them here and can't wait for them to get to know our sweet boy.

One of the fun things we'll do while they are here is to celebrate LM's first birthday! Can you believe he's going to be 1? It's so special that they could share this day with us. His birthday is on Thursday and we are planning to do something small with the 5 of us. We'll have a larger party on Saturday with friends. We aren't going to throw a huge dol, but we are mixing a little Korean and American traditions. We will have a little hanbok parade and doljabi event.

Of course, there's the 4th of July to celebrate too. Here in Milwaukee, we have fireworks somewhere in the city/surrounding areas every night, starting with Saturday night. Can't wait to see how LM enjoys that! We'll be going with our bestest pals and their little sweetie, with Grandma and Grandpa too. Should be lots of fun!

Hope you have a great week ahead of you too!

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To do:  Things I Want To Teach My Children Every Day (free printable)

To consider: Living in a diverse neighborhood

To play in the sun: Make Your Own Sprinkler

To look good: I Had A Cheap Moment

To make the old, new: Craving #1

To hold in place: Tiny Polaroid Magnets 

For when you are the world's best mom and going on a trip: How to Make A Recycled Bubble Wrap Travel Game