Pretty Pink Feminists

I have always raised my four year old to believe in herself. I never forced girly-ness on her, but as you can see by her blog she has definitely chosen it. She is one of the fanciest, pinkest girls I know. But she still is going to "change the world and make it so lots of girls can be pastors" (something that still needs to change in our evangelical Christian circles). She tells this freely to everyone and recently told me she wants someone to write a book about her life because she is going to change the world like Fa Mulan did for China (she impersonated a man and was in the Chinese army in 380 AD). I am glad my feeble attempts to keep the feminism alive by reading books like The Paper Bag Princess mixed in with the Cinderella and Fancy Nancy has worked. I suppose it is not really feminism, but personism as my friend Bill Catling says. I am the first one to stand up for my wonderful parenting partner and husband when people so rudely say "Is Adam babysitting the girls for you?", no he is just parenting them, Dads don't babysit. Women and Men have their special talents and roles, but we all should partner in life with parenting, finances, decisions, leadership, you get the drift...off my soapbox.

Thanksgiving at Pilgrim's Place

We found this quaint little festival in Claremont called the Pilgrim Festival at Pilgrim Place. Aggie learned about the Pilgrims and Indians by riding on this fun Mayflower ship build on a Cadillac that held at least 40 people, doing fall crafts, seeing Pilgrim costume on the seniors working the festival, and visiting a Indian Camp with a hut, skins to dry, fish model over a fire and story with craft. So fun, hey? There was this great drumming circle that traveled the country doing their half hour presentation. They were intense. They had an opening incense ceremony, wore certain colors, and took their song very seriously. They were kinda goofy, but because they took it soooo seriously they were cool. Isn't that funny how that happens? We read Thanksgiving books on the drive and when we got to Indian story time my cute, little daughter promptly answered CLAMS when asked what the Indians ate. I was so proud of my little unschooler. Sometimes I am impressed with what she hears. I feel like she is not listening, but-oh-she really is.

On that same subject I have totally infiltrated her little brain with my Christian Equality. She now "plans" to be a "woman pastor at the Grove because there are really not girl pastors and she has to help change the world like Mulan and Ruby (one of the first Chinese Women to attend university)". Part of me is proud and amazed at how much she listens to me, and part of me is scared for her as I have set her up with high goals that may take a bumpy journey to accomplish.

The pap from hell...almost

If you are a guy, you may want to stop here, unless you are OK with pap-smear/OBGYN and nursing/boob talk. I had a pap scheduled for tomorrow, but it had to be rescheduled for today. It would have been easy to slip away by myself tommorrow, but not today cause Adam works and we have to get Aggie to preschool. Gwyn fell asleep 20 minutes before I had to leave, I was late because I didn't want to wake her, she was crying and wanted to nurse rather than hang with Adam, things were stressful to say the least. I just wanted to be alone! Finally Adam was able to slip away with her (after I nursed in a gown with a drape over my lap-fun) and I fell asleep waiting for my doc on the table (ahh, sleep deprevation). Then I was having an embarrasing girly problem I had to voice out loud to my doc (again-fun) and he tells me I have low estrogen levels like menopause! So that is why I found a wisker growing out of my chin yesterday! Adam said he would tummy bump me later cause I feel so manly. Turns out nursing turns down the estrogen and mine is extra low. Nursing is crazy. I love it and think it is beautiful and amazing. But, low estrogen levels? It is great because it makes it harder to get pregnant which my body needs a break from biologically, but bad for my feminity. I also just got over a breast infection. Crazy fun there. I had to hang over a sink of hot water with my boobs in there to help them let down and release the plug that was causing the infection everytime I was going to nurse. Embarassing. I made everyone leave the room...but can I say it felt amazing. Only a nursing mom would understand that-but seriously, being a woman is wierd sometimes.

Celebrating New Life

I met this wee baby today. She is breathtaking. Allison looks just like Haley and has the most dainty, long fingers and huge Aaron Foor feet! She is so small that I can hold her in one hand and even Newborn things are huge, but she is healthy and nursing away. New lives are just amazing. The beauty of God's creation and the gift He gave to women to bear children is just overwhelming. Their smell, their fragility, their soft cuddles...I love the miracle of it all. I walked into the Foor home and it just smelled like birth-I love that smell. I never ask to hold other's babies because I know they need their parent's touch most, but of course I got to hold this one and she was so precious! Em is beautiful and strong and feminine. She is well and resting with her new family of five!

Lauren, My favorite Creative Arts Coordinator

Lauren is leaving. Me and my girls (and my husband's department) will miss her terribly. She was the best Creative Arts Coordinator that we almost had. I know life is calling her onward, but I hope God sends us someone who can fill her shoes. She is going to do amazing things for arts somewhere. But, I have to admit I still wish it were here. I will miss the trust I could put in her as a pastor's wife that my husband's ministry details would always be done on time to the best degree. I will miss how well we could work together and communicate. I will miss all the lunches and shopping trips I had planned after I exit this stage of life of infancy confinement. I will miss that Adam and I could ask her to do anything and she always considered our word interchangeable. I will miss how she viewed femininity and women in ministry. I will miss the example she would have been to my girls. I will miss her beauty. I will miss her. I will miss you Lauren. Come and visit us, please.

Infancy Flaky Friend

I am reviewing my day and realized I flaked on this friend for the second time because of my infancy confinement stage of life. Motherhood makes us so forgetful and our days have to flex so much!!! Holly is one of my favorite girls and I crave our times together. She lived in our home for a while, she married one of our best friends, Rodrigo and has become one of my best friends...I was in her wedding dangit and now I stood her up for lunch a month ago and coffee today! Holly, I am a big doof-I had a teething baby and I stayed home in my PJs with stinky pits until I absolutely had to go out to pick up Agatha from Preschool. Please forgive me. Why is it that we as women when we get busy we seem to sacrifice the thing we need most in our feminity-our connection with other women?