Shopping While Black- or What Would YOU Do?

Even if  the majority of White America doesn't know about it, ask any Black American and they can tell you a time when they were caught "shopping while Black".  SWB (like it's counterpart Driving while Black) is the result of someone (almost always) White assuming that the Black individual is committing (or about to commit) a crime.  It is probably the most common form of racial profiling and results in innocent individuals being followed, searched and accused even in the absence of ANY evidence of wrong doing.  It is racist and disgusting but as this video shows- there may be something even worse than that.  Even more disturbing is what the bystanders who witness this racism do.  See- racism won't change until ALL people, whether it effects you directly or not, stand up for what is right and just.  

The video is a little on the long side but it is an eye-opening (and nauseating) glimpse of bystander apathy even in the face of blatant racism.

A fine example of penmanship...

So D has started preschool and is beginning to understand the concept of "writing" and she has begun to enjoy using pens and writing. The other day she was sitting at my desk writing on some scrap paper with a pen while I was working on my lecture for my college class. At some point she must have run out of paper and rather than ask for more she grabbed some from my file box and used that. At about the same time she decided that pens were boring and she switched from a pen to a Sharpie.

This is the result

Now my readers who are parents of internationally adopted kids probably already recognize what D used for paper- but for those of you who haven't had the joys of dealing with USCIS-

this is K's CERTIFICATE OF CITIZENSHIP.

D had outlined K's picture several times. I was able to get a lot of the Sharpie off (is there anything a Mr Clean Magic Eraser can't clean) but it began to rub of the certificate ink, too.

We were already annoyed that we had to pay $420 to get the thing in the first place (since D's was free) and if we have to replace it that will be another $380. B is going to take it to the social security office soon to see if they will accept it to change her status in their system. If they take it, then we will try to see if the Passport folks will accept it. If they do, then I go to the bank to deposit the certificate into the safety deposit box. If they don't then I go to the bank to withdraw $380.

Either way, it will be a long time before anyone finds the Sharpies again.

and tomorrow brings....

the suspicion that what D had was H1N1. (which probably means that is what X had as well) Although I guess finding out you might have it after you are done having it makes it no big deal. Everyone seems to be on the mend, we have been told no one is contagious and if we could get D back to a decent sleep schedule life would be back to our normal total chaos.

They May Look Like Cute Kids but

I think they are really walking Bio-Hazards.

Two weeks go K starting with the 24 hour fever thing that became a snotty cough thing, the a couple of days later X had a 3 day fever thing that knocked him out pretty good- he still has the hoarse cough thing going on. Then of course B got in on the act and had a fever for 2 days, then D had a two day fever, chronic cough thing. This week both K and D had fevers again by the time I picked them up at day care on Monday. They both stay home on Tuesday. On Wednesday send K back since she seems fine. Comes home after school with a nasty oozing ear infection so off to the urgent care and now she has a fever again. This morning D was off to the pediatrician to find out she has a "little pneumonia" but to bring her back in 3 days if her fever isn't gone. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings......

Happy 2002!!!

Although Ethiopian New Year was actually on September 11th, our local Ethiopian Community group held the celebration today. The Ethiopian calendar is actually 7 years behind the Gregorian calendar so it is now 2002 by the Ethiopian calendar. K actually has two birthdays- one listed in the Gregorian calendar and one in the Ethiopian calendar. So in a way, both A and K were born in the year 2000.

And in case you are wondering- total time the kids wore the white clothes before one of them got them dirty- just under 2 hours (which is a lot longer than I would have ever guessed)

Here are photos of the kids at the Enkutatash celebration.

Facepainting- D is her current favorite animal- a "meow meow" (this facepaint has alot to do with the shirts getting dirty)

Playing with balloons with our cousin Emily- can life get better than this??

Enjoying some yummy Ethiopian food (okay if you look at their plates some of them are enjoying it more than others) but they had a cabbage dish that A really likes- which he was happy about

A played his DS while the little kids found balloons to play with.

(contact me if you'd like the contact info for the photographer who took these photos)

Fishing in the Rain

They were not about to let a little rain stop them from fishing at Grandma and Grandpa's house.  Of course, first you have to get some worms

Then off the to pond where the drizzle turned into actual rain (not that the kids cared at all)

They did catch a few fish.  The bigger miracle is that none of the kids (or adults) got hooked.  Casting is a skill best left to kids older than 5.

Talking about Race and Racism

I thought I had posted this a while ago but in going through my post list it is showing up as never being posted so here it is now (and I apologize if it was posted earlier) 

Talking about race and racism won't make your preschooler a racist.  In fact, it will make them much more likely to be open and accepting of difference.  Research has shown that children understand more about race then we adults ever imagined them understanding and they learn quickly what isn't "okay" to talk about.  Newsweek actually had a really great article about young children and race.  Well worth the time it takes to read it.  Several other websites also had good reactions

http://www.newsweek.com/id/214989/page/1 

http://resistracism.wordpress.com/2009/09/08/a-surprise-to-white-people/ 

http://harlowmonkey.typepad.com/