Boys Don't

2:47 PM - Posted by Bobbi - 0 comments
Dear Little Girl at the Bouncy House:

You are very cute, your brown curls bobbing to your enthusiasm as you twirl about singing "Let it Go" at the top of your lungs. You are having an amazing time, pretending you are a beautiful princess with magical ice powers.

So why did you just tell my little boy that he can't sing "Let it Go" and pretend he has ice powers, too?

I do not blame you specifically, Little Girl, because, after all, you are four years old and ignorant in the ways of the world. You have no idea the vastness and the richness of life. Not yet.

But I do blame the adults out there who say, "boys can't."

Boys can't wear nail polish.
Boys can't play with dolls.
Boys can't be girls in video games.

I have heard all of these things in regards to my boys and now I can add to the list: Boys can't sing.

 Expectations like these are akin to pigeonholing girls into mothering and teaching or nursing professions because "that's what girls are supposed to do."

No.

All people have the capability to become whatever they want in life. If my boys would rather become nurses ballet dancers, teachers, flight attendants, or any profession that is traditionally a "woman's" profession, that's fine with me. If they choose to become construction workers, computer programmers, engineers, or scientists - you know, "manly" professions - that would be wonderful, too.

In sum, Little Girl, I hope you will never have to see your little boy run up to you with tears in his eyes, bottom lip quivering, telling you in halting words that a little girl told him that he couldn't sing. Because it will break your heart, too.

Concerned Mother

Blessed be.


Sweet Week
5:15 PM - Posted by Bobbi - 0 comments
I spent most of my sons' baby years dreaming of the day when they would be in school. Imagine the freedom! Imagine how much I could accomplish during the six hours they were away!

I've heard many people - mothers of teenage children in particular - disagree: Oh, just you wait, they seemed to say, you'll be driving them every which way; to sports, to clubs, to friend's houses...Just you wait.

For the first time, I understand. Besides the piano lessons, Friday playdate, and normal activities, I baked and frosted about six dozen cookies for various Valentine's functions with a little bit of help from the kids, all in the span of three days. 

By the Gods, it was nightmarishly fun. 

I work Monday and Wednesday evenings now, teaching English - it's a funny story, but I won't go into it now - so anything that I need to get done for the evening has to get done the morning or afternoon before. So, all of the cookies I would normally bake at night were cut and baked during the day. 

We made two types of cut cookies: a chocolate brownie cut-out cookie and a regular sugar cookie. There were bits of dough left over from each, so Balin and I mixed them together to create...swirl cookies! 

Some of them weren't all that interesting but others were quite lovely, with cloudy or marbled patterns. Some were black-and-white-tuxedo cookies, the bands of color alluringly bold.

Balin and I bought a small bottle of sprinkles at Aldi's and once the cookies were frosted, the boys took turns decorating those cookies with sprinkles. That was the best part! In fact, Balin wanted to decorate all the cookies for Friday Playdate, too, but since all the cookies we made his friends were swirl cookies the frosting would hide all the pretty patterns. I think he was slightly disappointed.

Blessed be.


Never-Ending Birthday
7:13 PM - Posted by Bobbi - 0 comments
When I was a child, I loved birthdays. Since mine was in February and in the middle of the school year, having a party seemed to break up the monotony of an endless Barrow winter. All that changed when I entered high school. While I enjoyed parties, I hated people making a fuss over me.

This year I turned 35 and I am not so sorry to say that I am in love with birthdays again. I want to feel spoiled. I want lots of phone calls, Facebook messages, texts. I want a big party with lots of people. 

This year I seem to have gotten my wish.

The whole week of my birthday was a celebratory event! 

Gloria and I share a birthday, but this was the first time we were able to celebrate it together. To commemorate our special day, we decided to go to Cedarburg the Saturday before. While Gloria had been a few times (most recently with my father who insisted that driving through was the same thing as stopping to nose around), I had never been. This charming little town contains lots of antique stores and a quilt shop that had once been the town's school house. (Really, the only way to describe such a place is quaint.) We ate fish-on-a-stick from Ewig's in Port Washington and went to a lovely natural food store in Mequon. That night, Robinson and I left the boys with Gloria and saw 'Into the Woods.' (According to Robinson, that was the best version of "Agony" ever.)

On Sunday, we ate carrot cake and exchanged presents. Because I often help her with projects or work around the farm, Gloria had gotten me a 'helping hand' - an antique glove stretcher that ladies once hung their Sunday gloves upon. The gift itself was great, but I felt disappointed in myself. You see, I had found a lovely pair of gloves at one of the antique stores and wanted to purchase them. I ended up talking myself out of it. After all, what in the world would I do with a pair of whitle gloves with pink scalloped lace? 

Monday, the day of my actual birthday, the boys and I had a quick party before school. I opened my presents, all of which the boys picked out and bought with their own money. (Arthur and Balin had decided early on that since I liked jewelry, they would get me jewelry!) I taught class and brought in cranberry cupcakes to celebrate. One of my students even brought me a box of cookies! 

Tuesday, a friend and I were supposed to get together for a birthday drink as her birthday had been a few days before, but postponed until Wednesday since the weather didn't cooperate. No worries! A package arrived from my family filled with gifts! 

Wednesday, Sonia and I went for that drink after class; my very first margarita! It was wonderful having a bit of time with a friend without our kids. (The Universe knows I could use a few more of those every couple of weeks!)

Thursday brought another package from my sister, filled with all sorts of Hawaiian goodies. (The smoked lime sea salt is delicious in vegetable crackers, by the way.)

 Friday I did something...but I don't remember what it was. (It must have been amazing if I can't even recall.)

 On Saturday the family and I went to a friends house and ate dinner. She even gave me some lovely sewing stickers. It was the first meal our families had together and I certainly hope not the last. 

 It's going to be pretty hard to top this birthday!

Blessed be.