Pretty Girl

Emma Watson in Marie Claire

Daphne

I saw this post on Jose's blog and had to share some of it:

My Son is Gay

Or he’s not. I don’t care. He is still my son. And he is 5. And I am his mother. And if you have a problem with anything mentioned above, I don’t want to know you.

... So a few weeks before Halloween, Boo decides he wants to be Daphne from Scooby Doo, along with his best friend E. He had dressed as Scooby a couple of years ago. I was hesitant to make the purchase, not because it was a cross gendered situation, but because 5 year olds have a tendency to change their minds. After requesting a couple of more times, I said sure and placed the order. He flipped out when it arrived. It was perfect.

... And then the big day arrives. We get dressed up. We drop Squirt at his preschool and head over to his. Boo doesn’t want to get out of the car. He’s afraid of what people will say and do to him. I convince him to go inside. He halts at the door. He’s visibly nervous. I chalk it up to him being a bit of a worrier in general. Seriously, WHO WOULD MAKE FUN OF A CHILD IN A COSTUME ON HALLOWEEN? So he walks in. And there were several friends of mine that knew what he was wearing that smiled and waved and gave him high-fives. We walk down the hall to where his classroom is.

And that’s where things went wrong.... Mom C approaches. She had been in the main room, saw us walk in, and followed us down the hall to let me know her thoughts. And they were that I should never have ‘allowed’ this and thank God it wasn’t next year when he was in Kindergarten since I would have had to put my foot down and ‘forbidden’ it. To which I calmly replied that I would do no such thing and couldn’t imagine what she was talking about. She continued on and on about how mean children could be and how he would be ridiculed.

My response to that: The only people that seem to have a problem with it is their mothers.

... If you think that me allowing my son to be a female character for Halloween is somehow going to ‘make’ him gay then you are an idiot. Firstly, what a ridiculous concept. Secondly, if my son is gay, OK. I will love him no less. Thirdly, I am not worried that your son will grow up to be an actual ninja so back off.

If my daughter had dressed as Batman, no one would have thought twice about it. No one.

But it also was heartbreaking to me that my sweet, kind-hearted five year old was right to be worried. He knew that there were people like A, B, and C. And he, at 5, was concerned about how they would perceive him and what would happen to him.

... And all I hope for my kids, and yours, and those of Moms ABC, are that they are happy. If a set of purple sparkly tights and a velvety dress is what makes my baby happy one night, then so be it. If he wants to carry a purse, or marry a man, or paint fingernails with his best girlfriend, then ok. My job as his mother is not to stifle that man that he will be, but to help him along his way. Mine is not to dictate what is ‘normal’ and what is not, but to help him become a good person.

Read the full post here.

Put A Ring On It

Just reminding everyone that this isn't some plea to get married... I'm perfectly happy with things the way they are in my life right now and no pretty white dress or fancy photo is going to change that. However, isn't this ring lovely?

Featured on A Little Sussy

#weddingwednesday

'Back to the Future' Analysis. Hilarity Ensues.

I'd love to see the Forest Gump analysis.

Aww Sheet

Sometimes I fear that my house will always look like a twelve-year-old tried to decorate a TGI Fridays. Step one on my 'growing up' plan is to buy new bedding. Right now, I've got pink jersey sheets (but they are so comfy!) and a bare whote comforter on top (I could cover it with my blue flannel duvet covered in yellow stars. Very adult, I know). But I'm currently eyeing these basic striped sets from The Land of Nod and Dwell Studio. 

A Tale of Two Cities

 Love these Paris vs NYC illustrations

Keep Things in Perspective. I'd Rather Vote.

I love this sign from DC's Rally to Restore Sanity (check out more of the posters here. They're funny.). Really puts things in persepctive, no?

Speaking of restoring sanity, tomorrow is election day ya know. Are you voting? You should.

My friend (and former TJ finalist) Jose is leading the #idrathervote campaign. Get it? I'd rather vote than complain. I'd rather vote that sit around and do nothing.... You finish the sentence. (Seriously, post this on Twitter: '#IdRatherVote than [insert message here]! Find your polling place here: http://tiny.cc/idrathervote').

And Jose is making this all super easy. You can check out his blog to find out where your polling place is and what's on your ballot. AND BONUS: When you vote, you get a special Foursquare badge. Win!

“I’d Rather Vote” is a collaborative effort organized by Jose Iniguez in conjunction with John Thrasher, Dannielle Owens-Reid, Ryan Carlos, Tomicha Cassel, Danielle Lynn, Ryan Lytle, KayKi, and Elizabethany.