This is how I found them yesterday morning.
I think Rory's face explains it all...
"Mom! I need my own room!"
Tough luck, buddy... ;)
Fun with dad:
Watch out below...we've dropped a couple of nuts.
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Wonderful Weekend
Friday, October 23, 2015
Emma Speaks [Vol. 10]
*We were driving home from the Y when suddenly we could all smell a diaper in need of changing*
Emma: "Uhh... Mumma?"
Me: "Yes, dear? Is that you I smell?"
Emma: "No. Rory needs diaper change."
Me: "Okay, thanks for letting me know."
*a minute later*
Emma: "Mumma! Change Rory's diaper!"
Me: "I can't right this second, Emma, I'm driving."
Emma (and I could hear her eyes roll as she made a little 'ghh' sound in her throat):
"I'll do it."
*reaches for her brother*
"Come here, buddy, I'll take care you."
Clearly she is a better mother than I am. Tsk tsk tsk.
------------------------------------------------
*Emma is just a bit enamored with Abbie's boyfriend, Nathaniel [Fannel, in toddler speech]*
Emma: "Where my Fannel go?"
Me: "He's with Abbie."
Emma: "No! My Fannel!"
Me (chuckling): "Emma honey, Nathaniel is Abbie's boyfriend."
Emma (sobbing): "No! Fannel MY boyfriend!"
Look out, auntie, you officially have a fierce little competitor.
------------------------------------------------
*At the dinner table having a little Spanish lesson*
Me: "Emma, digame 'gracias!'"
Emma (flailing her arms in frustration): "No 'gracias!' It's all gone!"
...¿que?
------------------------------------------------
*Landon and I were pouring glasses of wine and caught Emma's attention*
Emma: "I have a sip?"
*and when we didn't respond*
"Buddies? Guys?"
------------------------------------------------
*In the van while out running errands*
Rory: "dadadadadada"
Me: "Rory, say 'Mumma!'"
Emma: "No! Rory, say 'Emma!'"
Me (playing along): "No! Rory, say 'Mumma!'"
Emma: "No! Rory, say 'Emma'! I'll give you a treat!"
Am I impressed or ashamed that she understands the concept of bribery?
Both. It's both.
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Catch-up...
Whew! It's been quite a week! Hence the lack of blog posts! (Thought you were rid of me, ehh?) ;)
I'll miss you, my beautiful friend.
I'm in absolute love with them. Emma was as uncooperative as they come, but could you even tell from these wonderful shots??? If anyone is looking for a wonderful local photographer with fantastic reasonable prices, look no further than April Young Photography. Plus, who better than an experienced mom to take family photos? This sweet and funny lady just "gets it." I could go on and on. But instead, here's a link to her Facebook page.
Hanging out and playing dress up at aunt Abbie's house. Poor Rory. It might be a while before he's able to defend himself from his sister's dress-up whims.
Rory now isn't content unless he's pulling himself up on something to stand or climbing on something potentially dangerous. So fun. Mom's nerves are shot. Emma has been having fun supervising his feats of baby-strength.
This week my van finally went in to be fixed! And I have to say... Now that I have it back, meh.
Because the rental van they gave me... *swoon* A 2016 model with all of the perks. The one that would have cost us an extra $50+ a month on payments. Power doors, touch screen, DVD player, all leather interior, clean, fresh smelling, free of stale Cheerios and ground up goldfish crackers. It was a nice week.
And in other news, got our family pictures back!!!
This crazy boy has had another rough week of teething and not feeling well. I swear he's growing too. My little baby is turning into a little boy! Very little napping this week. Which even resulted in a distress call to grandma >_< See? Even on baby #2 there are days you can totally fail at motherhood. But, you ask for help, take a breather, refocus, and try again!
We also had our first day at the YMCA this week! I went to observe a class that I'll be teaching, and the kids went to daycare for the first time ever. They did great, apparently! Emma didn't want to leave. So excited for what's to come... This is going to be so good for us! :)
Friday, October 16, 2015
The Little Farmer
Landon had the day off school, so we got an early start and headed down to Malone, WI to The Little Farmer with cousin Danielle in tow! :)
Queen of the hay bales
Driving the tractor making Buppa and great uncle Brendan proud ;)
Then the sun came out and it was beautiful!
Looking for the great big yak.
I love these cuties.
So many pumpkins!
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Pics
It was only a matter of time before this began... She's into putting things over her brother's head. Great.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Emma will be your friend.
Our adventures versus misadventures at the park always seems to be neck and neck.
Today was another misadventure.
Today we arrived at the park after a long walk for a little play-time before lunch. As soon as we got there I noticed another mother and her little boy, who could not have been much older than my Emma, if at all.
He was a cute little boy, and I'll be darned if he wasn't the epitome of toddler high fashion. He had on bright blue skinny jeans, little combat boots, a smart little peacoat and a slouchy hat hanging off the back of his head. He looked like a baby Gap commercial. His mother looked 6 feet tall in her black high-heeled riding boots. She wore these almost glittering leggings that I wouldn't even dream of attempting to pull off, a black leather jacket, and was sipping away at a hot venti from Starbucks. There was not a single stray hair coming out of her perfectly constructed ice blonde bun.
This woman looked like a freaking Calvin Klein ad, whereas I looked like... Calvin Klein's cleaning lady. On laundry day. I cringed slightly at my dirty tennis shoes, baggy hoodie streaked with mud from Emma's shoes, and what can only be described as men's Adidas lounge pants. Because, let's face it, that's what they are. I was also at that moment struggling to remember whether or not I managed to put mascara on both eyes, or just the one... Whatever. It's a park. We're there to play and get dirty. And other mom's don't judge, right??
Wrong. Now, I'm not in this woman's head [thank goodness] so I can't definitively say I know what she was thinking, but I've got a pretty good idea...
Here's what went down:
Emma went running up the ramp on the jungle gym, a whirl of pink converse and blonde hair, on a tear toward the big slides. She must have caught that little boy's eye, because he went hurrying after her up the ramp. Emma came to a sudden stop at the top of the ramp and whipped around to face her pursuer. She held up her little hand by the side of her face in a half-wave and said "Hi!" as she does to pretty much any man, woman, or child she encounters.
The little boy just stared at her, perhaps shocked by her bold greeting, but I swear he started to smile a little bit, as Emma tried again, taking a little step toward him... "Hiiii!"
But by that point, his mother was standing next to the jungle gym where they were stopped.
"Come on, babe, don't talk to that little girl. She doesn't want to play with you."
Um. Say what?
I blinked at her, dumbfounded, before I regained my bearings and replied "Oh no, of course she wants to play with you! We like to make new friends at the park!"
This woman quite literally looked down her nose at me and said "Well, I'm trying to teach him not to talk to strangers." She grabbed him by the hand, turned on her pointy heeled boot, and ushered him back down the ramp and off to the other side of the park.
I was flabbergasted.
Since when does a sweet, friendly two-year-old accompanied by her mother and infant brother at a public park signify "stranger danger"?
Was there something wrong with us, besides the fact that I obviously put absolutely no effort into my ensemble for the day?
Was it Emma's slightly blue-tinged lips from the dum-dum sucker she got from the bank teller?
Could she see the remnants of this morning's oatmeal hiding in Emma's very messy ponytail?
Could she tell somehow that I let Emma watch an hour of TV this morning so I could catch up on laundry and dishes?
These thoughts and questions clouded my head and stung at my heart until my good sense returned to me and I realized that I was not the problem. Emma was most certainly not the problem. The problem is that some parents actually don't like the idea of their precious babies associating and interacting with other children. As if playing with another child might actually tarnish their smudge-free little angel.
Maybe it was just us. Maybe. Maybe that mother looked at the three of us and decided she didn't want her son making friends with my daughter, whatever the reason. Maybe he has a lot of other friends, and she did nothing but provide him with a bad example of how to interact socially with other people.
But my gut tells me otherwise. My gut tells me she does this all the time. My gut tells me this little boy has very few friends, if any. My gut tells me his mother is the type of person who whispers to him "Don't play with that little girl, she's not very cute and her clothes are dirty." or "Don't go near that little boy, he stinks."
I doubt she knows what it could do to him, for him to hear "that little girl doesn't want to play with you" all the time. I doubt she knows she's most likely raising the next class-asshole, who is conceited and excluding, and won't deign to be friends with any children who don't live up to his mother's outlandish standards. I doubt she knows just how vital it is for children to play with their peers and develop social skills. Children who don't interact with their peers at a young age are the ones who have trouble making friends. Who have trouble functioning in social situations. Who look at other children and can only focus on the differences, or what's "wrong" with them.
My guess is she will be the mother who stresses the importance to her son that he has only friends who are impressive and popular.
Here is one thing I can say for certain, little boy; Emma will be your friend. I can tell already that this is part of her personality. She is eager to be friends with everyone, and I will do everything in my power to only nurture and grow that instinct. Even if you do end up as the class jerk, she will be a friend to you when you need one, even if you don't always deserve it.
If we do right by her as her parents, she will be the one who stands up to the bullies, and then takes them by the hand- for everyone knows they are often just hurting for friendship. She will be the one who is a friend to the stinky kid. She will be the one to kindly and discreetly whisper "Maybe you should take a bath tonight." not to embarrass them, but so they know they have a friend who cares. I will, if I have to, ingrain into her head that it is much more important to be kind and friendly than impressive and popular. But I doubt I'll have to. As much trouble as this girl gives me, she is by nature sweet and kind to everyone she encounters.
My heart sank. How? How was I going to explain to my darling Emma that this little boy's mother did not want him to play with her? Luckily, Emma is Emma, and I didn't have to. She was off and running again toward the big slide, like nothing had even happened. I'm grateful that she is so blissfully unaware of other people's nastiness. But the day will come when I will have to try to explain away someone else's cruelty. I will be prepared. I will be prepared to teach her that no matter how much of a jerk someone is to her or to anyone else, she can rise above it by being courageous and kind.
Today we arrived at the park after a long walk for a little play-time before lunch. As soon as we got there I noticed another mother and her little boy, who could not have been much older than my Emma, if at all.
He was a cute little boy, and I'll be darned if he wasn't the epitome of toddler high fashion. He had on bright blue skinny jeans, little combat boots, a smart little peacoat and a slouchy hat hanging off the back of his head. He looked like a baby Gap commercial. His mother looked 6 feet tall in her black high-heeled riding boots. She wore these almost glittering leggings that I wouldn't even dream of attempting to pull off, a black leather jacket, and was sipping away at a hot venti from Starbucks. There was not a single stray hair coming out of her perfectly constructed ice blonde bun.
This woman looked like a freaking Calvin Klein ad, whereas I looked like... Calvin Klein's cleaning lady. On laundry day. I cringed slightly at my dirty tennis shoes, baggy hoodie streaked with mud from Emma's shoes, and what can only be described as men's Adidas lounge pants. Because, let's face it, that's what they are. I was also at that moment struggling to remember whether or not I managed to put mascara on both eyes, or just the one... Whatever. It's a park. We're there to play and get dirty. And other mom's don't judge, right??
Wrong. Now, I'm not in this woman's head [thank goodness] so I can't definitively say I know what she was thinking, but I've got a pretty good idea...
Here's what went down:
Emma went running up the ramp on the jungle gym, a whirl of pink converse and blonde hair, on a tear toward the big slides. She must have caught that little boy's eye, because he went hurrying after her up the ramp. Emma came to a sudden stop at the top of the ramp and whipped around to face her pursuer. She held up her little hand by the side of her face in a half-wave and said "Hi!" as she does to pretty much any man, woman, or child she encounters.
The little boy just stared at her, perhaps shocked by her bold greeting, but I swear he started to smile a little bit, as Emma tried again, taking a little step toward him... "Hiiii!"
But by that point, his mother was standing next to the jungle gym where they were stopped.
"Come on, babe, don't talk to that little girl. She doesn't want to play with you."
Um. Say what?
I blinked at her, dumbfounded, before I regained my bearings and replied "Oh no, of course she wants to play with you! We like to make new friends at the park!"
This woman quite literally looked down her nose at me and said "Well, I'm trying to teach him not to talk to strangers." She grabbed him by the hand, turned on her pointy heeled boot, and ushered him back down the ramp and off to the other side of the park.
I was flabbergasted.
Since when does a sweet, friendly two-year-old accompanied by her mother and infant brother at a public park signify "stranger danger"?
Was there something wrong with us, besides the fact that I obviously put absolutely no effort into my ensemble for the day?
Was it Emma's slightly blue-tinged lips from the dum-dum sucker she got from the bank teller?
Could she see the remnants of this morning's oatmeal hiding in Emma's very messy ponytail?
Could she tell somehow that I let Emma watch an hour of TV this morning so I could catch up on laundry and dishes?
These thoughts and questions clouded my head and stung at my heart until my good sense returned to me and I realized that I was not the problem. Emma was most certainly not the problem. The problem is that some parents actually don't like the idea of their precious babies associating and interacting with other children. As if playing with another child might actually tarnish their smudge-free little angel.
Maybe it was just us. Maybe. Maybe that mother looked at the three of us and decided she didn't want her son making friends with my daughter, whatever the reason. Maybe he has a lot of other friends, and she did nothing but provide him with a bad example of how to interact socially with other people.
But my gut tells me otherwise. My gut tells me she does this all the time. My gut tells me this little boy has very few friends, if any. My gut tells me his mother is the type of person who whispers to him "Don't play with that little girl, she's not very cute and her clothes are dirty." or "Don't go near that little boy, he stinks."
I doubt she knows what it could do to him, for him to hear "that little girl doesn't want to play with you" all the time. I doubt she knows she's most likely raising the next class-asshole, who is conceited and excluding, and won't deign to be friends with any children who don't live up to his mother's outlandish standards. I doubt she knows just how vital it is for children to play with their peers and develop social skills. Children who don't interact with their peers at a young age are the ones who have trouble making friends. Who have trouble functioning in social situations. Who look at other children and can only focus on the differences, or what's "wrong" with them.
My guess is she will be the mother who stresses the importance to her son that he has only friends who are impressive and popular.
Here is one thing I can say for certain, little boy; Emma will be your friend. I can tell already that this is part of her personality. She is eager to be friends with everyone, and I will do everything in my power to only nurture and grow that instinct. Even if you do end up as the class jerk, she will be a friend to you when you need one, even if you don't always deserve it.
If we do right by her as her parents, she will be the one who stands up to the bullies, and then takes them by the hand- for everyone knows they are often just hurting for friendship. She will be the one who is a friend to the stinky kid. She will be the one to kindly and discreetly whisper "Maybe you should take a bath tonight." not to embarrass them, but so they know they have a friend who cares. I will, if I have to, ingrain into her head that it is much more important to be kind and friendly than impressive and popular. But I doubt I'll have to. As much trouble as this girl gives me, she is by nature sweet and kind to everyone she encounters.
My heart sank. How? How was I going to explain to my darling Emma that this little boy's mother did not want him to play with her? Luckily, Emma is Emma, and I didn't have to. She was off and running again toward the big slide, like nothing had even happened. I'm grateful that she is so blissfully unaware of other people's nastiness. But the day will come when I will have to try to explain away someone else's cruelty. I will be prepared. I will be prepared to teach her that no matter how much of a jerk someone is to her or to anyone else, she can rise above it by being courageous and kind.
Emma Speaks [Vol. 9]
*I was sitting on the living room floor with Rory looking at a book and Emma comes running to me with my car keys in her hand (still can't figure out how she got them... They're always kept way out of her reach)*
Emma: "Come on, mumma. Let's go get a coffee."
------------------------------------------------
*Emma comes running up to me as I'm taking the last bite of my cereal*
Emma: "All gone?"
Me: "Yep."
Emma: "Nuts."
------------------------------------------------
*sitting at the table having a snack*
Me: "How's the graham cracker, Emma? Is it good?"
Emma: "It's not good. It's delicious."
Well WELL!
------------------------------------------------
*Emma was basically wailing/caterwauling sing-song nonsense in the car*
Emma: "THISSSSS IS LAAAAAA GOOOOO!"
Landon: "What is that?"
Emma: "It's music."
Duh, dad.
------------------------------------------------
*we were approaching the park in the double stroller when Emma spotted a younger looking man in the pavilion checking the meters*
Emma: "Hey! Where's my boyfriend?"
Me: "Oh, you have a boyfriend?"
Emma (pointing to the guy in the pavilion): "There he is!"
Me: "Emma, we don't know that man."
Emma: "Hey! Boyfriend!"
Me: "Emma! We don't know that man. He's not your boyfriend you silly goose."
*Man starts walking to his truck*
Emma (shouting and waving her arms): "Hey! Boyfriend! Where you going?"
Oh dear...
------------------------------------------------
Friday, October 9, 2015
Consider carefully how important this "gesture" really is...
Every time I've been asked this question, I'm left fuming about it for days.
Person: "Did your husband ask your father's permission before he proposed?"
Me: "Umm... no."
Person: "Why not?"
Me: "Why would he?"
Person: "Because it's tradition. And it shows respect."
Me: *walks away*
I'm left dumbfounded. Seriously. How does this still exist? How is it still so commonly expected that a grown woman's opinion and decision-making skills be damned and left completely to her significant other and her father? It makes me sick that we live in a society that still reduces a woman to an object of ownership, and that agreement of ownership is stripped from said woman in the name of "tradition" or "respect".
"It's tradition." Let me stop you right there. It also used to be tradition to duel to the death over petty disagreements. Chinese foot binding. Human sacrifice. Need I go on? Can we all agree that there are many traditions better off left dead and buried? I believe this to be one of them. This tradition is based off a time when a woman was considered nothing more than property. She was the property of her father until she married, and then she became the property of her husband (a whole other issue, that still has a sickening presence in our current society). A man used to barter with a woman's father for either the right or the obligation to marry her. The men had the opportunity to demand money, land, goats, etc. or whatever they thought the woman was worth. Men of low class hoped to marry their daughters off to wealthy men of higher social class, and a man wanting to marry a woman of higher class than he had to offer her father money, land, livestock, etc. Still think this tradition is so sweet and important?
"It shows respect." Please. Respect to whom, exactly? Because you're sure as hell not showing a woman any respect by asking her father's permission to marry her. In fact, just the opposite. This "sign of respect" tells her that she is property. She is owned by her father, and the decision to leave his possession is not up to her. She is not worthy of making that decision for herself. Yes, some argue that in today's world after getting permission from her father she could still refuse to marry said man, or if her father says "No" they can still get married anyway, but my point is that this "sign of respect" is deeply rooted in a past where women had no respect and no rights whatsoever. You could maybe argue that it shows respect to her parents as they are the ones who fed her, clothed her, raised her etc. But does that give parents permission to govern the lives of their daughters (just daughters, this does not happen to sons) well into adulthood? As far as I'm concerned, legally and figuratively, my life became my own the minute I turned 18. No disrespect to my parents (honestly, I'm sure they would agree).
Some people say they want their parents' blessing to marry. I get that. Usually that entails a couple going together to both sets of parents and expressing their desire to marry, and asking for mom and dad's blessing. This isn't exactly what I'm talking about, because in that situation there is mutual respect. What I am talking about is the fact that only women seem to be the ones who need permission from their father (or parents) to marry. Why don't men? Why doesn't a girl, a grown woman, have to go to her boyfriend's parents and ask permission? It just doesn't happen. And again I come back to the history. The reason is, women used to not have rights.
Luckily, I was raised by parents who never once even suggested to me the notion that women are inferior to men. I was raised to believe that idea that "the man is the head of the house" is absolute bullshit. Marriage is and was always to me an equal partnership, in example by my parents and in my own marriage. Man or woman, we are humans, and that makes us equal. I get that some people choose to still model the hierarchy of their homes in this way due to religion. I'm not going to contest that, even though I believe differently. I don't seek to make everyone believe what I believe. My only point in sharing this opinion is to perhaps present the idea that this "tradition" and "sign of respect" could be very damaging. Think of the fact that you are teaching your daughter that she is unworthy of choosing her own partner in life without permission from her father (or parents). That she is your property. That you don't respect her opinion and you don't trust her to make important decisions about her life. You are teaching your son that he has the right to make decisions regarding his girlfriend's future with her father, instead of her. That he does not have to respect his wife as an equal. It plants in his mind the idea that she is owned by her father and that ownership will then be transferred to him. Danger. Warning. Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect $200.
But, I digress..
If someday a young person comes to Landon, or both of us, asking permission to marry Emma, I can tell you full well already what OUR response will be: "Why would you ask us? The fact that you're asking us tells us that you don't know our daughter at all." For if we have done our job right in raising her, if she chooses to marry, that decision will belong to her and her partner, and no one else. To anyone expecting my son to ask permission from his significant other's parents to marry, sorry- we're raising him to respect his partner as just that- a partner. Equal, and capable of making decisions without parental oversight.
To anyone who felt the need to ask a girl's parent's permission to marry, I get it. I don't think you're ignorant. I get that there can be expectations and pressure to uphold this tradition. I get that your girlfriend said "You have to ask my dad's permission first." My point in this is not to condemn anyone. My point is- take a minute to closely examine what you are doing, the meaning behind it, and consider differently when it comes to yourself and your children. Take a moment to closely examine why you feel the need to be asked "for your daughter's hand".
Please. I beg of you, raise your daughters to expect equality and respect. Please raise your sons to expect the same. Teach your children to govern their own lives by making smart decisions, and then in adulthood, trust them to do it.
Person: "Did your husband ask your father's permission before he proposed?"
Me: "Umm... no."
Person: "Why not?"
Me: "Why would he?"
Person: "Because it's tradition. And it shows respect."
Me: *walks away*
I'm left dumbfounded. Seriously. How does this still exist? How is it still so commonly expected that a grown woman's opinion and decision-making skills be damned and left completely to her significant other and her father? It makes me sick that we live in a society that still reduces a woman to an object of ownership, and that agreement of ownership is stripped from said woman in the name of "tradition" or "respect".
"It's tradition." Let me stop you right there. It also used to be tradition to duel to the death over petty disagreements. Chinese foot binding. Human sacrifice. Need I go on? Can we all agree that there are many traditions better off left dead and buried? I believe this to be one of them. This tradition is based off a time when a woman was considered nothing more than property. She was the property of her father until she married, and then she became the property of her husband (a whole other issue, that still has a sickening presence in our current society). A man used to barter with a woman's father for either the right or the obligation to marry her. The men had the opportunity to demand money, land, goats, etc. or whatever they thought the woman was worth. Men of low class hoped to marry their daughters off to wealthy men of higher social class, and a man wanting to marry a woman of higher class than he had to offer her father money, land, livestock, etc. Still think this tradition is so sweet and important?
"It shows respect." Please. Respect to whom, exactly? Because you're sure as hell not showing a woman any respect by asking her father's permission to marry her. In fact, just the opposite. This "sign of respect" tells her that she is property. She is owned by her father, and the decision to leave his possession is not up to her. She is not worthy of making that decision for herself. Yes, some argue that in today's world after getting permission from her father she could still refuse to marry said man, or if her father says "No" they can still get married anyway, but my point is that this "sign of respect" is deeply rooted in a past where women had no respect and no rights whatsoever. You could maybe argue that it shows respect to her parents as they are the ones who fed her, clothed her, raised her etc. But does that give parents permission to govern the lives of their daughters (just daughters, this does not happen to sons) well into adulthood? As far as I'm concerned, legally and figuratively, my life became my own the minute I turned 18. No disrespect to my parents (honestly, I'm sure they would agree).
Some people say they want their parents' blessing to marry. I get that. Usually that entails a couple going together to both sets of parents and expressing their desire to marry, and asking for mom and dad's blessing. This isn't exactly what I'm talking about, because in that situation there is mutual respect. What I am talking about is the fact that only women seem to be the ones who need permission from their father (or parents) to marry. Why don't men? Why doesn't a girl, a grown woman, have to go to her boyfriend's parents and ask permission? It just doesn't happen. And again I come back to the history. The reason is, women used to not have rights.
Luckily, I was raised by parents who never once even suggested to me the notion that women are inferior to men. I was raised to believe that idea that "the man is the head of the house" is absolute bullshit. Marriage is and was always to me an equal partnership, in example by my parents and in my own marriage. Man or woman, we are humans, and that makes us equal. I get that some people choose to still model the hierarchy of their homes in this way due to religion. I'm not going to contest that, even though I believe differently. I don't seek to make everyone believe what I believe. My only point in sharing this opinion is to perhaps present the idea that this "tradition" and "sign of respect" could be very damaging. Think of the fact that you are teaching your daughter that she is unworthy of choosing her own partner in life without permission from her father (or parents). That she is your property. That you don't respect her opinion and you don't trust her to make important decisions about her life. You are teaching your son that he has the right to make decisions regarding his girlfriend's future with her father, instead of her. That he does not have to respect his wife as an equal. It plants in his mind the idea that she is owned by her father and that ownership will then be transferred to him. Danger. Warning. Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect $200.
But, I digress..
If someday a young person comes to Landon, or both of us, asking permission to marry Emma, I can tell you full well already what OUR response will be: "Why would you ask us? The fact that you're asking us tells us that you don't know our daughter at all." For if we have done our job right in raising her, if she chooses to marry, that decision will belong to her and her partner, and no one else. To anyone expecting my son to ask permission from his significant other's parents to marry, sorry- we're raising him to respect his partner as just that- a partner. Equal, and capable of making decisions without parental oversight.
To anyone who felt the need to ask a girl's parent's permission to marry, I get it. I don't think you're ignorant. I get that there can be expectations and pressure to uphold this tradition. I get that your girlfriend said "You have to ask my dad's permission first." My point in this is not to condemn anyone. My point is- take a minute to closely examine what you are doing, the meaning behind it, and consider differently when it comes to yourself and your children. Take a moment to closely examine why you feel the need to be asked "for your daughter's hand".
Please. I beg of you, raise your daughters to expect equality and respect. Please raise your sons to expect the same. Teach your children to govern their own lives by making smart decisions, and then in adulthood, trust them to do it.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Catching up on some pics and videos
I can't look at this picture without cracking up. This kid has the best face.
Miss Thang.
Rory had his first famous homemade O'Toole pancakes! We're going to need a bigger griddle...
Landon found this hilarious
Just being silly...
http://youtu.be/oi81nxjlaVM
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