Happy Birthday Barbie!

Barbie is turning 50 this week. I'm hoping that she is just going through a little midlife crisis or maybe she just had too many martinis. Either way, Barbie went out and got a tatt. The Totally Sylin'Tattoo Barbie is just a little much for this conservative mom. My daughter will not own a doll with a "tramp stamp" this is just a little too much for me. I would never purchase one of those Bratz dolls because I think they are trashy but I thought I was safe with Barbie. The doll even comes with a tattoo gun so that young girls can give each other tattoos. Maybe if I did get Allyson this for her birthday she will have aspirations to be the next Kat Von D. Why can't we teach our young girls that being smart can be beautiful? Why does Barbie have to wear a mid drift and a tatt? Why can't there be more Barbie,MD., teacher Barbie or attorney Barbie? I'm not saying that I'm against tattoos or those that wear them. I was looking at getting a small tattoo at one point in memory of Andrew. I just feel that kids are already growing up much too fast. We just need to let them be little and focus on building self esteem through brains not beauty.

Pay It Forward

Yesterday Allyson had her fieldtrip to the Belton Library. This was a quick trip basically for story time, craft time, celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday, and to learn about the library. Before the trip I went to Allyson’s classroom to give a little gift to her teacher, Ms. Susan. I have noticed during this school year and during the fieldtrips that Ms. Susan has been having some difficulties with her digital camera. I could tell that the camera had put on many miles and she was talking about her husband buying her a new camera for Christmas. Well, last week during the fieldtrip I noticed that Ms. Susan didn’t even have her camera and when I asked her about it she said that the other camera barely works and things just came up during the holiday. Well yesterday before the trip I gave Allyson our old Kodak Easy Share camera (the one we bought the week before Allyson was born) to give Ms Susan. I have to admit I was a little on edge because I didn’t know how she would react to the gift. I didn’t know if she would be upset and view it as a hand out or if she would be embarrassed. I just prayed for the best. Right before the kids got ready to leave I took Ms Susan aside and just said that I wanted to give her something. I told her about how grateful I was for everything she has done for Allyson and how we are truly blessed to have such an amazing preschool teacher that really cares about the kids. I told her that I knew she didn’t get a camera for Christmas so I just wanted to give her our old one because hopefully it was a little better than the one she had. I was so shocked when her face turned bright red and her eyes filled up with tears. She told me about having to take in some extended family during the holiday and how they have given everything to them to help them out. She even gave them her car and has been walking to work. I was so excited that she was excited and I’m glad that our old camera found a “new home”. I’m not posting this to “toot my own horn”. I’m sharing my story so that maybe you can do something for someone to just pay it forward. In this word we live it at the moment just something small to you might make a difference to someone else.

This morning Brian sent me this email. It was the letter Ms. Susan sent home.

Dear Rhandi,

I wanted to let you know how much I appreciated the digital camera. I know that it will come in handy for my class projects and for whenever we go on fieldtrips. I enjoy being able to capture moments that parents don’t’ see of their child because they aren’t able to go on a trip with us because they are at work. I will enjoy this camera and will think about your sweet little Allyson every time I use it. Again, thank you so much for such a wonderful gift. God bless you and your family.

Sincerely,
Susan Moore

Brian said when he dropped off Allyson that Ms. Susan was already going around taking all kinds of pictures of the kids and was just so excited. What a great feeling…for both of us.