Daredevil in Training - Dear Kid

I'm not sure when it came into your little head that you could be a mini daredevil.

Dear Daniel

I certainly didn't mention it to you or encourge any daredevil like actions. Yet there you are trying to test the limits of your balance and strengh. I should also mention your testing the limits of my nerves. I'm starting to be a nervous wreck!

As I stand watching you, I see your moments of plotting to do a mini daredevil trick. I see you eyeing the top of the bigger slide wondering how to get up there. I see you eyeing the bigger swings wondering if you can make a dash towards it before I catch you.

As you make these decesion to climb down, up and all around the big areas, your determined to do it alone. No help from mommy is needed. I'm amazed at you and your actions...and your inistance, in the form of wiggling and running away, that I leave you alone.

What are you thinking about when you take that step off the edge? I hold my breath for the fall and crying...but they dont come. You take the step, hang there for a few seconds and then you're down. Even after a stumble, fall or scrape you're right back trying to perfect your system of tricks. With each sucessful daredevil action you proudly smile and clap to yourself.



In support, I clap and smile also at your success. But I also hold back a few tears at yet another system of actions taking you futher away from being my baby and closer to being an independant little boy.

Love you always,
Your Umma

Choosing to Segregate Children

Recently I interviewed the ladies behind Interracial Family Organization, a website that focuses on interracial families.

While there are many websites trying to highlight interracial families, after interviewing them I felt they we're trying to do something different, something modern, something inclusive.

I guess I was right cause they asked me to guest blog on their website. Yeah, I know! What are they thinking! LOL.

You'd think after all the drama from some of my post about white women I'd be the last person they'd ask to to write for them. But they did...and despite my paranoia after what happened with the other IR website that asked me to blog for them, only to then keep me out in the fields, *ahem*, I accepted their offer.

My first article for them titled "Deliberately Choosing to Segregate Children" is sure to cause some drama. But I'm hoping it will also cause some serious discussion. If readers can get past the knee jerk reactions I'm hoping a deep and thoughtful conversation will be started.

Take a read and share a thought

******Edited to add full article here******

Deliberately Choosing to Segregate Children

A little while back I was hanging out on twitter when another mom with a biracial child tweeted she was thinking of relocating and asked for suggestions of places to move her family. I suggested Portland, Oregon since a few years ago I visited, loved it, and thought about moving there myself.

This mom sent a follow up tweet asking how “white” is Portland, Oregon because she wanted her kids to be surrounded by “black” people everywhere. At this point I should mention this mom is white.

I think she expected me to agree that half black children should be surrounded by the black community. Well, I certainly didn’t agree.

Our follow-up tweets over this issue snow balled into a uncomfortable place racially for both of us. As a result we no longer tweet, blog visit, or even side eye each other.

Oddly, I understood the intention behind her question. This mom wanted her sons, who have a black heritage, to be more exposed to the African American community since currently they live in a predominately white area. I got it, I really did. But her question still left a bad taste in my mouth and heart.

To think of intentional limiting a child’s exposure to one or two racial communities is a bit upsetting. It’s sorta like someone deliberately choosing a form of segregation. As a mom also of a biracial child, I can’t see moving to Korea or any Asian country just because he “appears” more Asian than black. While I hangout within the Asian community, I don’t share the desire to limit my son’s exposure to only Asians or what he “looks” like.

I see my son as part of the larger mixed race/biracial community and try to expose him to all those experiences.

But maybe I’m wearing rose colored glasses. Maybe sometimes children need to “see” people who look like them?

What do you think about deliberate segregation? Can it ever been beneficial?

Little Boys and Accidents

As my son grows apparently so will his accidents. Try as I might I can't prevent him from having no accidents, so I try to prepare myself and cope as best I can when they do happen.

Still the latest round of boo boo's has me wondering what is it with little boys and accidents?

Tonight's boo boo is a big one since it's on my son's head. As usual he was trying to climb on things he shouldn't. As I once again ask him not to climb in a certain area, he slides off and connects with a wall corner.

As he walks over to me wailing I start the panicked mother inspection process. I'm looking for the sign that will immediately launch me into heading into the emergency.

Oddly enough, while there is a small gash on the side of my son's head, there's no bleeding, swelling, or disorientation. Matter of fact he's stop crying and is trying to escape my grasp so he could go play. When I finally release him, I immediately text me sister the EMT to find out what to do.

That crazy girl tells me to take a photo and send it to her. *groan* I can just see the scene of her being at a hospital, asking a doctor for their opinion, and then all the medical staff standing around her discussing my photo.

After sending her the photo I then had to go thru 20 questions. Is he this, is he doing that, what about this. Gosh, she's as bad as the doctors office. After unofficially clearing him she tells me to observe him for weird behavior. *sigh*

Just think...this is just the beginning. As he grows, like many young boys, he's going to try all sorts of crazy stunts. Of course this will mean more accidents and in some cases some bad ones.

I wonder if there's a support group for Mother's of a little boys who gets boo boo's. There should be!