First Lady Rightly Upset?

I don't know exactly how I feel about the First Lady, Michele Obama, being upset about her children being portrayed as dolls from the Beanie Baby manufacturer- Ty, Inc.

On the one hand I can understand because she has made it completely clear, along with her husband, President Barack Obama, that they wish nothing else than for their daughters to have as normal a life as possible. They also would like to minimize the amount of press exposure they receive and the amount of attention focused on them. With that in mind, it can be understood that having dolls that are made in their image does bring about unwanted press coverage and attention. The Ty company has said that the dolls are not meant to be replicas of the first daughters, but I can't really believe that. They claim that the dolls (who don a darker complexion and are named Sasha and Malia) are just regular dolls fashioned after no one in particular. When asked about the identical names to the first kids, the manufacturer says they are just beautiful names that they felt would fit the dolls (yeah right- the names are beautiful, but not exactly floating around on the top 100 names of 2008 list).

Conversely, I would imagine that having a doll made to imitate your daughters could be an immense honor and something you should be proud of. The idea that millions of children around the world will be able to use the likeness of your children as a companion or keepsake, should make the First Family feel very proud of the children they have raised and the example they are setting for other families. It's also the risk that you take when you enter into a highly publicized position such as the Presidency. I know that they want a normal private life for their daughters, but I'm not sure if they are expecting too much with that request. These are highly voyeuristic times and everyone wants a little piece of the Obama action and that includes the kids.
It is a conundrum- and a reality they will probably have to face for at least the next 4 years.

It's Walking Time Baby!

The little monkey is desperately trying to walk. He took 4 steps in a row this weekend ( I missed them on camera, I tried but he moved to quick). Since that day he has taken about 2 steps everyday and is getting better with his balance everyday. He can stand alone with no support for about 30 seconds now, even while holding onto a toy. It's so neat to see him try to learn this new skill. Although, I know I'm really going to miss the days of him staying put, which even now are few and far between.

He's growing so fast and I almost want to shrink wrap him to keep him this size. I can put him in my food saver and preserve him. It's not that I want another little baby anytime soon, but I do like the phase he is in now. He's just so cute and I can see what everyone meant when they told me to relish in every moment because it goes so fast. I can only imagine what my parents are thinking, to them it probably seems like just yesterday they were watching me take my first steps.

It's true, time does fly when you're having fun.

Job Search

I applied for several jobs this week in Atlanta. One I would really like to be considered for. It's a Planning and Policy Development Specialist with the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. It's an organization that deals with policy issues and researches information on the Victim of Crime Act and Stop Violence Against Women Act. They develop grants and develop programs that promote those agendas.

It seems like really rewarding work and in my two fields of study, Political Science and Criminal Justice.

Let's keep our fingers crossed.

It's Inauguration Day!

On this momentous occasion, that is Barack Obama's inauguration, I immediately think about my grandparents. They are African-Americans who were born in a time when blacks were considered second class citizens, not even human. My father, who was born in segregated America, was not allowed to share facilities and not allowed to enter through the front doors that whites used. He was beaten in the 60's during the Detroit riots and protested for equal rights for his people and all people. My mother was chased by dogs and called horrible names on her way to school, while her white neighbors through rocks at her. And even me as a child was told As a that I needed to be twice as good as my white counterparts to be successful and I have to strive to be twice as good to be considered equal.

These are stories of my family and of several African-American families across this country. And only 40 years ago, a day like today would not even be possible.

I look to my ancestors and my family and say thank you. Thank you for your sacrifice and thank you for your courage. Thank you for the steps you took and the foundation that you established that allowed today to be possible. I am so happy that my grandparents, who are in their nineties, lived to see the day when a black man would occupy the white house. I am happy that I will not have to tell my son, that he has to prove himself twice as hard to be an equal participant in society. It has been said over and over that when we now tell our children that they can be anything, it won't just be a cliched statement but an attainable reality.

This is much more than a new President and an ushering in of new policies- It is also a change in the page of history and a momentous day for this country, one a long time coming. So, I congratulate our new President and I wish him the greatest success. You have made a lot of people more hopeful and extremely proud.

Dear Manning-

You are a healthy and delightful 9 month old child now. Your personality is shinning through and what a wonderful one it is. I am so happy to see the progress you have made and the vastness of your curiosity to learn more. I am so proud to be your mother and I hope that you will find that I am doing the best I can for you. I really find it hard to think back to life without you, even though it was less than a year ago.

I hope for you continued growth, I hope for you continued promise, and I hope for you safety and security. I could never imagine loving a person as much as I love you. And I could never imagine how much joy I would get just watching a little being, who used to live in my tummy, explore the world. Each day is a fresh new experience that I get to view from your eyes. Your days are full of wonderment and excitement and I relish in the time I get spend with you and hear you laugh .

You are now the traveling man, and love to go-go-go! It will be hard to keep up with you when you begin walking, because you're already the speed racer. You are establishing your balance now, and can stand for several seconds by yourself. It won't be long before you decide to take that first step. I can't wait for that and everything else there is to come.

Thank you for entering my life and allowing me to be your mother. I am a better person for it.
Love you Chunky Monkey!

Getting in the Groove

So, I have been a little delinquent in my blog posting as of late. There are several reasons why, but the primary reason is, my computer at home died- the virus infected little bugger just was beyond repair. The tech said it would just be more cost efficient to get another one. So, that I shall. I have to wait until about next week when I have some money- the savings account is just off limits for...well anything. Since my computer has been on the fritz, I have had to use my time at available computers completing this first week of classes homework. I have found that my Law, Procedures, and Individual Rights course will be an excellent prep for when I take Criminal Law in Law School. I also might have found a new passion in my Computer Crimes course. It's been kind of a challenge to find the right balance between work, school, and home; but I am working hard on it.

I have also been searching for work in Atlanta, so that I can make our relocation jump. This is not an easy task, and I figure the earlier I start the better, and maybe I will get a bite in this HORRIBLE economy. Many places have implemented hiring freezes, so I figure I need to spend a little bit of each day searching for a job, until I find one. I have also been researching options that would allow me to have a somewhat flexible schedule- freelancing of some sort or my new genius idea (and I use that term loosely) Private Investigation work, so that I can attend Law School and not have to punch a 9-5 in the day time, creating a day where I would have to be away from the house from 9am-9pm. There's just a lot on my plate right now, and if the year goes as fast as 2008 did, I am in trouble.

And my mother is coming next month, to stay for a month, so I have to get my house in decent order before she comes with her white glove tests, she always seems to comment on how my base boards are not clean enough.

So, it sounds to me like I better sign off, and get started...

Concerns

At least once a day I contemplate how in the world I am going to be an effective wife, mother and law student if I also have to work full-time.

I am currently trying to map out a hypothetical schedule of my day, if I had to take classes in the evening. And at best I would bot get home until about 9:00PM. I would hardly ever have time during the week to spend with my family, and that does not include the time that I would have to spend studying.

I asked in a previous post about what a typical day in the life of a part-time student would be (one that works full-time, and also has family obligations) so that I could get a feel for what my life could potentially look like for the next four years. *Still waiting on responses on that one. *

This is something that I really want and I know that somehow I will make it happen, but the concern for spending time with my family (my son especially) is an issue that is constantly weighing heavy on my heart. I've taken classes at night, and worked full-time but this was before I had a child- and even then I was out of the house for long periods of time during the week. Dinner was always late and house work was always put aside. So, I'm just soliciting some input from others in this situation.