Your book-loving, nerdy mama

My bubbling excitement at a children's author retweeting me confirms that no, I am probably not one of those people that is cool around celebrities.

xo,
Your book-loving, nerdy mama

Qigong, "The Boy Game," and Hawaii

We started a new massage therapy prescribed by your occupational therapist. Years ago, I would probably have put "qigong sensory therapy" the same category as "milk from constantly hugged goats" – but alas, life is an adventure. The challenges we face have reshaped me. My parenting mode is much more "willing to try anything" than I ever imagined. Yes, I would probably even try milk from constantly hugged goats if there was evidence-based research showing it could help.

At any rate, it is mostly enjoyable for us both. But some nights, you would rather read or do something else. Some nights, I have had more than enough together time and would looooove to skip it. To help us stay on track, you made up a reward system for it. Every night that we do it, you get to play 3 or more games of The Boy Game (to be explained) and after a year, we get to go to...Hawaii!!

The Hawaii part I completely understand (YES - let's do it!) but The Boy Game is one of many bizarre things that you love for reasons that I cannot fathom. It goes like this:

Mom chooses random verb and sings it in this pattern:
Flying boy,
Flying boy,
Flying - flying - flying boy 

Boy acts out verb and pretends to have some sort of grave accident at the end of the song. 

Repeat with new verb such as climbing, jumping, etc.

This is something you want to do every night for a year? And I can talk you out of say - dawdling while brushing or teasing your sister because "Maybe we will have time for one more round of The Boy Game?"

Well, okay. I'll go for it. Who knows - maybe someday you'll write a book about your childhood and include The Boy Game as one of your many adventures. You are currently in love with Jon Scieczka's book Knucklehead where he talks about one of his favorite games, Ghost Rider, where a kid rides a bike under monkey bars, letting go so the bike keeps going without a rider.

Hooray for Ghost Rider! Hooray for The Boy Game! And a big hooray for OT!

Your rights are not up for grabs

My dearest Lucy,

Umbrellas up, we joined nearly 5 million people across the globe in the women's march this weekend. It was possibly the largest protest in Oregon, the United States, AND world-wide history.

I brought your cat hat to the parade but I didn't give it to you until we got there. We stopped to talk because I figured you'd want to understand what "pussy" was referring to in this march before you decided whether you wanted to wear it.

You had heard part of the quote from Donald Trump so we read the whole (completely awful) thing. Then I explained that by saying "grab them by the pussy," he was referring to grabbing a woman's vulva without her permission.

Shocked and very upset, you were starting to cry when you asked, "You mean someone like him can grab me there? And that's OK? He just can?!" I said "No. It's not ok! See all these people around you...all of these hats and cat signs? Every one of them is out here to say that it is definitely NOT ok. Talking about women like that is NOT ok. Grabbing a woman like that is NOT okay. And no one should think it is ok. Ever. Again."

The fear on your face went away so fast and you just lit up. And all of the sudden, I was so grateful that you had learned about it HERE. You had been in THIS crowd, with THESE people to get your first glimpse into sexual violence. You are so young – I have not wanted you near the topic. But it is looming close in your future. Like me, you must soon face that being female means some people will want to intimidate, use, and control you. And like me, you must accept we have a president that said THIS and other horrible things. Among many reasons I am grateful you EXPERIENCED, in a beautiful way, that most people agree that it is NOT ok. We want women to have safety and equality. We want YOU to feel valued and safe.

Yes, we've got some big problems. But have hope. Take a look around! All kinds of people are willing to show up and work to make things better.

Love you,
Mama

(With thanks to the Pussy Hat Project and all the worldwide march participants. You changed her world. And you changed mine!)