I have a wonderful father. I know many wonderful fathers.
Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads.
…and some pics for you…
He is my baby daddy, after all. 😉
Go Big or Go Home
June 14, 2008 by 15 Comments
I baked scones and happily sang away with my iTunes while a child was abused.
I watched suburban children sing, uncomfortably, in their hand-picked outfits and combed hair and give their teachers end-of-the-school year gifts while a child was abused.
I ran around the park with my own children, and their friends, and their parents, and we ate homemade treats and laughed about the cost of gas while a child was abused.
There is a story on my local news tonight that may become one of those things that haunts me until I die.
If you are at all feeling weak or unable to cope with an unspeakable abuse story, please do not click this link.
Just know that a boy my son’s age was tortured only a few dozen miles from my own home.
Things were done to him that no adult should ever withstand. He survives, and has been taken to a safe place.
For all my insanity. For all my talk. For all my endless threats… this is something that makes me want to say ‘screw it’ to all the reasons why I shouldn’t help, why I shouldn’t be adopting, why I shouldn’t be attempting to give. Why I am too busy or too broke or too ….whatever.
because that child is no more or less deserving than my own.
because as much as I wanted to turn off the tv and change the channel, I knew I was just turning a blind eye.
because this story is not rare enough.
because I spent the day watching my very own 5-year old get that ‘head start’ as he ‘graduated’ pre-school.
because for every reason, every excuse, and every story we do…or we don’t.
because somewhere in there, a decision is made.
Do.
Cindy McCain is No Baby Mama
June 12, 2008 by 25 Comments
Or Laura Bush. Or Barbara Bush. Or Hillary Clinton. Or myself.
Why?
We’re white.
As discussion swirls around ‘fist-bumps’ and so-called ‘news stations’ labeling the next potential First Lady as ‘Obama’s Baby Mama’ let us all be very clear: racism is not ok just because it’s on Fox.
Nice try asshat.
What part of ‘we are not stupid’ do you fail to get?
Let’s also be clear, the ‘blogger’ you see in the clip, Michelle Malkin, would be branded a ‘baby mama’ far quicker than I ever would. I wonder how she feels about this racism and sexism going on as she sits and spins for the GOP that uses her skin color to gain credibility with minorities? (yes, GOP, we see what you are doing)
Oh wait, apparently she thinks it’s ok because Michelle Obama has been treated with kid gloves and allegedly used the term ‘baby daddy.’
She’s kidding, right?
Sadly, she is not kidding.
Here is what that half of America is missing:
This has nothing to do with feeling the next first lady is ‘off limits.’
I expect everyone within an inch of Senator Obama be scrutinized.
I also fully expect Michelle Obama can take care of herself, and do not for one second worry the media is too hard on her or the right-wing bloggers too nasty. I get the distinct feeling Michelle Obama would and will handle herself as I would expect any strong, American woman.
Any strong, American woman who’s not a Republican, anyway.
What I will not do, however, is sit by and watch sexism and racism on national news. THIS woman might moan and groan over feminism and Clinton, over which supporters are voting McCain and which are too angry to kiss and make up with the Democratic party, but just as we called-out sexism with the Senator from New York, we are calling it out with the rhetoric surrounding Michelle Obama.
Let’s ask that producer if he would put the caption ‘Bush’s Baby Mama’ under First Lady Laura Bush. Of course not, because Laura Bush is white.
Maybe Fox News would consider ‘Trailer Trash Mama‘ under their next First Lady caption?
Or would THAT be offensive? Playing into stereotypes?
Of course it would.
How about a ‘McCain’s Stepford Wife’ under the next Cindy McCain story?
Of course not, Fox would never dream of anything so crass and offensive while labeling the woman who could be the next First Lady.
Yet Fox is fine with ‘Baby Mama’ as the words describing Michelle Obama.
Why?
It’s called racism, sexism, and it is as clear as Rupert Murdoch’s bias.
“Just who do you think your audience is, Fox News? A bunch of 11-year-olds? Didn’t you forget to call her Obama’s ‘boo’ as well as his ‘shorty?’ /eyeroll It would be so easy to get outraged by this, but instead these tactics make me howl with laughter, because it shows that the right is scared out of their minds. Yesterday’s ‘terrorist fist jab’ is today’s Obama baby mama. Tomorrow will bring something worse, but it ain’t gonna make their cause look any better. The Republicans are are going to get handled come November. This I know…
In the immortal words of Kimora Lee Simmons, MOMocrats co-founder Stefania Pomponi Butler ‘will beat a bitch’s ass’ for messing with our country’s next First Lady.”
Updated: Liza at Culture Kitchen gives us a background reminder on Malkin.
Erin Kotecki Vest also blogs at Queen of Spain blog, BlogHer.com, and MOMocrats.com. She thinks Fox News can suck it.
The Post I Don’t Want to Write
June 9, 2008 by 24 Comments
My first born.
My baby boy.
My little guy.
I’ve been avoiding discussing the big ‘K’ for as long as possible-but there is no more avoiding it…
Count Waffles the Terrible starts Kindergarten in August and I’m a disaster.
He’s excited as hell.
I’m a gawddamn disaster.
I should have been tipped off by the amount of paperwork involved in just enrolling him for public school. I now refer to it as the ‘kindergarten packet of DOOM’ because really-it was insane.
Then came the orientations and the ‘is your child ready?’ discussions. The assessment of his skills by a teacher. The walk-through of the class. Then the ‘buddy’ day where our little guy was partnered with a current kindergartner and went through ‘class’ for an hour.
This is where I got to sit in the back and see what was ahead. Excitement, frustration, the hierarchy of peers-it was enough to make me puke in my mouth a little.
Not to mention the totally primped and dolled up ‘Muffia’ mothers in the class, sitting next to me as I watched and they chatted so loud they nearly drowned out the teacher.
‘No, Trust me Kathy you want Mrs. J. She’s the only teacher worth having.’
‘But I heard her husband has been seeing his secretary.’
‘And don’t forget if you sign him up for the karate class AND the gym class next door they will transfer the kids and you can stay for the manicure AND pedicure.’
Yup, I get to make ‘friends’ with those bitches so I can make sure my kids are not shunned via PTA ‘your mom didn’t do xyz’ stigma.
My son took it all in stride while I totally panicked. I’m worried I am going to forget to put his name on something. That I haven’t forced him to write his name enough. That I’ll pack him the wrong kind of lunch.
Ugh.
Just as I had gotten us home from ‘buddy’ day and attempted to decompress, I heard screams from downstairs.
Blood. Confusion.
A baby tooth in a tiny 5-year old hand.
The tooth fairy paid her first visit as I sent in yet MORE forms to the new school.
Time marches on.
If I could get out of this parental ‘where did the time go’ fog, I might get myself together in time to sign up for more PTA stuff. Bake sale? Maybe a fund raiser? hmmm… do they have a ‘totally freaked out new parent who has no clue how to navigate all this who wants to make sure she does the right thing’ position? Yeah, I’ll take that one.
Let’s DO This Thing
June 8, 2008 by 21 Comments
Truth time.
You are not over it.
I am not over it.
There are threats to vote McCain.
There are snarks about older white women.
There are accusations of it being my (and other women who voted Obama) fault Clinton didn’t break that ‘ultimate glass ceiling.’
There are sore winners, sore losers, and even discussion of what our daughters will take away from this, other than our inability to STOP fighting.
So I say, time to get it out all out there. Time to lay it all on the table and say every nasty thing, or upsetting thing, or even offensive thing you need to say. Time to fight it out with that Obama supporter. Time to fight it out with that Clinton backer.
Time to do what we need to do in order to move on.
It’s time to stop pitting women against women.
After we have our virtual pillow fight, I’m not talking about it anymore.
Unless of course, Clinton fucks up again (see, see why I need to do this? I have issues! ISSUES!)
7pm Pacific. We’ll start off on Stickam so as many people as possible get a chance to yell and scream and cry.
and then with any luck…by the wee hours of the morning, we’ll be back to feeling ya-ya.
So we’re having it out in this virtual Red Tent to emerge stronger. And also to learn why each side is so entrenched so we can understand and come together.
Celebrate Good Times, COME ON!
June 4, 2008 by 20 Comments
Years ago, my grandfather used to take about two dozen of us grand-kids to Boblo Island.
When you arrive, via party boat with dance floor and DJ, the awkward guy in a bear costume would dance haphazardly to Kool & the Gang’s Celebration.
As entirely cheesy and insane as that scene may sound-it’s happy memories for me.
This past week has been insane happy memories.
My daughter fronted her first band (she’s the tiny one with her back turned to you, singing)
Senator Hillary Clinton announced plans to suspend her campaign.
The Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup.
…and despite coming home from a family trip to Kansas with one kid blowing her nose and the other covered in a rash due to the hotel water park, I am in a good mood.
It’s time to come together…..
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