People, Parties, and Pumpkins

It's been a busy weekend. On Friday we had C's birthday party and then the group birthday party at Shul. Yesterday, Paulo went to close the house on FI. Cutie and I went to drama, the fair at the Waldorf school and the annual pumpkin party at Julie's house.

I met some great people at all the parties. I meet more people who are smart. I met people who commute into the city. I met people looking to change our local government so we can lower our taxes.

This may be the start of something. We may have been inspired by the idiot Palin - but we are all voting Obama (wishing it was Clinton instead, but like the eloquent choice of Biden)
Perhaps a website is in order to track stupidity in our local government.

Gloria Steinem, Billie Jean King and Me

Yesterday I watched Oprah. Gloria Steinem, Billie Jean and Maria Shriver were guests. Gloria and Billie are responsible for who I am today. I remember watching the Billie Jean and Bobbie Riggs tennis match on TV as a pre-teen. Gloria somehow came into my field of influence around the same time.

We lived in Brooklyn until I was six. I had a friend Pierre who gave me a penny to enter a carnival set up by neighbors. It was just homemade games and after we went in it was not worth the penny. So we left and Pierre, having to pee, went on a tree. I thought it wasn't fair that girls couldn't do that. Call it early penis envy. I also went to a school that separated girls from boys. I thought that wasn't fair either. I don't know why I felt this way - but I did. It was 1969.

We moved to the burbs. My new Hebrew Day School had boys and girls in the same class. And then there was the Billie Jean King- Bobbie Riggs tennis game. Billie Jean won and I felt great. It was then I decided I wanted to be better than the boys in sports. I was upset that little league didn't include girls and they let me play. I wasn't as good as all the boys at school or camp, but I could hold me own and was picked for a team before many of the boys. I did, however, beat them all at swimming.

I learned about Gloria from my dad. Ms. Magazine was starting and his cosmetics company "Monica Simone Cosmetics" had a logo using the initials "MS". They wanted permission to name the magazine Ms. (My early experience with trademark law). My dad said OK. His rational is that it could only help his company. I guess my dad was a feminist without even knowing it.

I was not a follower of Gloria. I did go to Washington, DC to change the world and work on the extension of the Equal Rights Amendment and in Geraldine Ferraro's office when she was a member of Congress.
I didn't hang on to every word of Gloria's. I sort of remember hearing the she got married. She was always a subtle breeze for me. Without realizing it I was tuned in to her. It was around that time I was thinking it may be time for me to consider getting serious about finding a partner. I even lightened my hair. I meet Paulo in 2001. He was the first guy I ever was serious with that didn't care if we got married or not. You should always marry the person you don't have to marry.

So here's to you Gloria and Billie Jean. As for Maria - well your girls are at an all girls school. It's sort of against everything I believe in. And I'm sure it's a great school. However your comment about being the leader you want to see - resonates with me. Our goal now is to make women around the world equal. But how can I get Cutie to see there's better things in life than Princesses.

Meta Cognitive

I use TV as a babysitter. I turn on Noggin and there's an announcement. Blue's clues enhances preschoolers yadda yadda and meta coginitive skills. Is that supposed to make me feel less guilty?

You can never have too many toys

Yesterday I had to go to the beach house to ready it for winter. It's Sukkot and Cutie didn't have school. I dropped her off at my brother's house and she spent the day playing with her 4 cousins. She had a fab time and left with the traditional parting gifts of old toys. Apparently her girl cousins (ages 6. 8. 10) are into sports and not princesses. We really didn't need a drum liner bag filled with polly pockets and more. Cutie said "you can never have too many toys".

I think the recession may be good for us. Children are given too much stuff. Guilty as charged.

Is it time to move to New Zealand?

Both Obama and McCain don't get it

Obama's missed opportunity. Joe the Plumber.
First Joe the Plumber can set up his business. His taxes won't increase under Obama's plan unless he pays himself $250,000 per year. He can still hire people in his business. Profits go back into the business. They both don't get small business. McCain's message is easy. Under Obama's plan Joe will pay higher taxes because a plumber makes $250,000.

Smart small business people work the system. However, they get screwed with health insurance. Another missed opportunity.

Birthday Sunshine

We woke up to pouring rain and moved the 1pm party inside the house. At 1:30 the sun was shining. The children didn't seem to mind. Gotta love them.

Rosh Song and I'm running

How cute is she eating radishes?

I'm running
http://www.tsgnet.com/pres.php?id=370743&altf=Npojdb&altl=Gfggfs

Envy

Cutie is taking drama class. They are doing Sleeping Beauty this season. Today one of the girls came to class with a dress that resembled one that Sleeping Beauty would wear. Cutie looked at her with envy.

I remember when I was in 1st grade the teacher made a comment about a dress the one of my classmates was wearing. I demanded to wear my red velvet dress the next day. I did not get any positive reinforcement from the teacher (who I remember hating).

It was at that moment I think I decided that I didn't care what people think. I hope she has a similiar experience.