What Do You Think?

On a more serious note -

I started reading a book that a friend loaned me called In Their Own Voices, Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Story (by Rita Simon and Rhonda Roorda).  The book starts out with Argument, Rhetoric, and Data for and Against Transracial Adoption.

I'm going to give you a quote from the book here, and open it up for discussion.  I'm curious about what you think about this...

At its national conference in 1971 the president of the NABSW (National Association of Black Social Workers), William T. Merritt, announced, "Black Children should be placed only with black families, whether in foster care or for adoption."  The following excerpt establishes the flavor of the speech:

Black children should be place only with Black families, whether in foster care or adoption.  Black children belong physically, psychologically, and culturally in Black families in order that they receive the total sense of themselves and develop a sound projection of their future....Black children in white homes are cut off from the healthy development of themselves as Black people.  The socialization process for every child begins at birth.  Included in the socialization process is that child's cultural heritage which is an important segment of the total process.  This must begin at the earliest moment; otherwise our children will not have the background and knowledge which is necessary to survive in a racist society.  This is impossible if the child is place with white parents in a white environment....
We (the members of the NABSW) have committed ourselves to go back to our communities and work to end this particular form of genocide (transracial adoption).

I will share in a later post what the book goes on to say, but first, I'm interested in your response to the above quote.  Need a little more fodder to think about...the book goes on to cite Mr. Merritt...

In addition, Merritt made the following claims:

- Black children who grow up in white families suffer severe identity problems.  On the one hand, the white community has not fully accepted them; and on the other hand, they have no significant contact with Black people.
- Black children adopted transracially often do not develop the coping mechanisms necessary to function in a society that is inherently racist against African Americans.
-Transracial adoptions, in the long term, often end in disruption; and the Black children are returned to foster care.

This is obviously a subject very near and dear to my heart. Something I can't ignore or choose not to think about.  I have very strong feelings on this issue, but before I get started, what do you think?

Survey Says...

Here you go folks....
 

The people have spoken!

I Missed It

Do you believe it?  I missed posting Evan's Happy Birthday post!  Okay, maybe I was subconsciously hoping it wasn't happening...

Anyway.

HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY, EVAN!!!!!


Eighteen years ago, this adorable little guy came into the world...



and as every one warned me, eighteen years has gone by like a blur, bringing me to today. 

Evan, you are a wonderful young man, and we are immensely proud of who you have become.  I am thankful for your sense of humor, your love, and your patience with me as I learn to let go ;-)

We love you tons!!!  Happy Adulthood!

We Need Your Opinion!

I've been meaning to write this post for quite some time, as there is a bit of a fashion disagreement over here!  You see, I am the proud mother of a fashion-obsessed daughter who will  remain nameless (she's 15).

We frequently get boxes (large boxes) of hand-me-down clothes from friends and family.  Recently, we received oodles of clothes from someone.  After the kids went through the box and took anything they wanted, I went through the box and grabbed a few items that would fit me :-)  Upon donning the shirt you see here..My dear daughter was MORTIFIED that I was wearing this shirt, and she informed me that that I could not wear it because, "I was a mom!"

Fast-forward to today...

I came into the kitchen dressed like this...
Same daughter informed me that I should NOT tuck in my shirt. The reasoning wasn't quite clear to me, but it had something to do with age or maybe the rise on my jeans not being right for tucking shirts in.

Hmm, now I have not really given a rip about fashion for about three decades, but I thought I would come to you all and let you help settle this debate in our household.  Please take the ANONYMOUS survey below and give me your HONEST opinion.  Really, I won't know who you are, but I am interested in your age.  I'll leave it open for a few days and then let you know what the results are.

Don't worry about hurting my feelings. I have three teenagers, my feelings are frequently trampled on, I'm used to it :-)

Don't Tell Dad

The Sign Says It All

 Molly has taken to painting pigs....

to be sold at a craft fair this Christmas season.

$3.76

Yes, sir!  That's how much I paid for my new pair of jeans from Old Navy yesterday!  They were on clearance for $5.97, and I was ready to purchase them at that price.  When I got to the register, I found out that all clearance items were 30% off :-)  Then I used my Old Navy card and got another 10% off.  Taa daa!  $3.76

This even beats my find this past summer, where I found a pair of Old Navy jeans at a garage sale, in like new condition, for $5.  I was so excited about that because I NEVER find pants my size at garage sales (I need a long size).


Well, those two finds, on top of the other jeans I own, mean that I won't need any more jeans for quite some time :-)

Public Service Announcement

It is my duty to inform you that there is a NEW Live Mumford & Sons Album available on iTunes! 

(This is not to be confused with their studio album that they are still working on.)

In fact, all but two of the songs are on Sigh No More; however, this new album contains LIVE versions of the Sigh No More songs - which, imo, are WAY better than studio versions.  In addition, the album includes Feel The Tide and Hold On To What You Believe which previously had to be ripped from YouTube.

The new album is titled Live From Shepherd's Bush Empire, and I highly encourage you all to go out and buy it....NOW!

You're welcome :-)

(and a special thanks to Ben for giving me the head's up on this)

Five Days

I have five days left to prepare myself for having an adult child!  I'm not thinking that's enough time, so if we could just stop time for, say.....forever....I would appreciate that.  I'M NOT OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE AN ADULT CHILD!!!

Oh, sorry for that outburst.  As you can see, I need more time!

Now It's Really Over

I know I posted a few days back that summer was over, but NOW it is officially over, as we closed the cabin over the weekend.  Just as opening the cabin marks the beginning of summer, the closing of it marks the end of summer!

Unlike previous years, we had gorgeous weather for raking and bringing in the dock.

Deb did a great job hauling leaves,

as did Raelea.

We needed a few trees removed (before they fall on the garage), so Mike the Tree Guy spent much of the day up here.

Proof of the gorgeous weather :-)

To finish off the day, we celebrated Raelea's birthday.  It really isn't for two more weeks, but she was lamenting how she never got to celebrate her birthday at the cabin, so we did an early birthday party for her there.  As you can see, she was quite pleased!

There's One Thing

There are a LOT of things I love about homeschooling.  Really, there are.  But there is ONE thing that I LOATHE.

This is my checking pile for the day....and it doesn't even have everything on it yet!  Ugh!  I hate checking schoolwork!

It's Time

You can only hold on to sumer for so long. Eventually, you have to admit defeat and give in to the inevitable fact that it is OVER!  This is something I resist every year, as I am not a fan of winter, but even I must admit that my hopes for another Indian Summer are probably in vain.

I turned on the furnace this week.

I brought my winter clothes out of storage.

I evan wore a winter coat a few days this week.

Now, it has come to this as well...

The basil is being harvested.  We've fought the good fight: planting, watering, pruning, covering up on cold nights - but it is time to let it go.  :-(

The killing frost most certainly is only a day or two away.  So, I will make a couple more batches of pesto and leave the basil to fend for itself out in the garden. 

I'm sorry, Basil, I've resigned myself to the inevitable.  So long!

Champions!

Well, they did it! Aidan and the Swarm are the 2011 EVAA Majors Champions! The game was certainly their toughest of the season, but they played hard and won!

We cheered from the stands under blankets...

Although the final score was close, the Swarm was in the lead the entire game.

And here they are!!  Go Swarm! 

These boys worked very hard and their coaches brought out the best in each of them!

Aidan, we are very proud of your hard work, improvement, and your massive bruises :-)

Now what am I going to do with all my free time without football taking up four nights a week?

I Couldn't Be Happier!

Yesterday was co-op, which means that I got to teach my science class again!  As you know, it is my personal goal to make these kids LOVE science!  So, here's an update on how I'm doing on my goal.

We talked about lots of different things out in the universe: galaxies, stars, black holes, supernovas, nebula, dark matter.  I showed them AMAZING pictures of these things...well, not of the black holes because...well, they're kind of...black.  And the dark matter was missing from the pictures, too, because...well, there are no pictures of it, nor do we really know WHAT "it" is...hard to take pictures of something you can't see, now isn't it?

Anyway, you get the idea.  We talked about weighing the universe, time not being constant, and really, really big numbers!  I LOVE big numbers, btw.  We talked about mass and matter, neutrinos, and things exploding and collapsing.

It was a great time.

So, what did the kids think, you ask?  Completely unprompted by me, my 3/4 grade class left amidst enthusiastic comments like, "I LOVE science!" and "Science is so cool!"  I kid you not, these kids were really excited about this stuff :-D

The 5/6 graders were amazed at the pictures of the nebulae.  You can see them (the pictures) too, if you go to the NASA website!  Nebulae are the most amazing, beautiful things in space, in my opinion.  Oh, here's a sample of one....it's called the Pillars of Creation nebula.  Isn't it COOL!!



Even the 7-12 graders couldn't help but pay attention!  They weren't as exuberant as the younger kids, but one of the girls told me she LOVED science and she couldn't wait to tell her mom all that she learned.  Now THAT makes my heart happy!!!!