Barbie is my Role Model

I started out this whole mothering thing getting broken in by two boys.  While we certainly have had our trials, toys for them has been pretty easy.  Try to avoid too much senseless violence (no toy Glocks) and you're pretty much good to go.  They love blocks, cars, dress up, legos, all that stuff.  And I'm happy with their choice in toys too.  Very much focused on machines and building and adventuring.  Good stuff.

Now that my oldest daughter is starting to have definite toy preferences though, it is getting to be a trickier game.  The oversexualization and princessifying of girls is a real sticky wicket for me.  Vi is a total girl.  The kind of girl I never was and have rarely met in real life.  She's very affectionate, likes to clean, shop, loves to dress pretty and wraps people around her little finger with her big blue eyes any chance she gets.  A blonde bombshell who revels in pink and glitter.  She would make a perfect trophy wife some day.  Or a sexy zoologist.  Or professional wrestler.  Don't get me wrong, she's got brains and muscles too, but she seems to have a definite knack for girly things that has been with her since the day she was born.  And she definitely didn't get it from her football and hockey playing mama.  I am no girly girl for sure.

When we peruse the garage sale toy boxes she inevitably ends up begging for some sparkly monstrosity or stuffed animal.  Which is fine.  Sparkles are fun.  I like furry animals.

But as she gets older, her attention is turning more and more to fashion dolls.  She is a little fashionista for sure.  If you take her shopping and ask her what she wants to look at, you would expect a four year old to say "Toys!".  Oh no, not this one.  She wants to look at shoes or clothes every time.

It's kind of fascinating for me actually.  I was never that type and I guess I just imagined that while yes, my children would be their own individual souls, they would probably be kind of like me.  Hahahahahaha.  I just can't get over her some days.  It's very interesting watching a whole other kind of creature come into being.

But anyways, so I end up pretty torn about dolls.  I always kind of considered Barbie the Great White Satan personally.  But as I look at the choices that are out there for dolls and girls toys, I'm really rethinking my stance on Barbie.

I mean, yes, she has a ridiculous body shape.  There's no getting around that.  It's absurd.  But past that, she's a pretty rockin' chick.

I mean, there are worse dolls out there for sure.

Bratz are a hot item.  But how do they fare as role models?  They are teen girls who are obsessed with fashion.  Fair enough.  Nothing particularly wrong or out of the ordinary with that.  I'd prefer if they were obsessed with science experiments and community service, but hey, I can deal.  Their fashion, however, leaves something to be desired.  It's pretty stripperific.  Some of their signature items are midriff baring tops and skirts so short that they put their lady-flowers on display.  Both of these items are not only against our house rules, but they are also against the dress code of most of the schools in the area.  And these are supposed to be school girls.  Like Barbie, their bodies are pretty unrealistic, but they take it in a pretty freaky direction with giant heads and lips that have definitely undergone a series of collagen injections by the ripe old age of 16.

So, I'm not a big fan of Bratz.  In fact, they aren't allowed in our house.  Period.  Ick.

On the other end of the spectrum we have the Fulla doll.  Have you heard of this one?  The Fulla doll is supposed to be like Barbie for Muslims. She is the epitome of a good Muslim woman.  She always wears her hijab when she leaves the house and her life is focused around family.  She is very modest, so no issues there.  I like her style and I had no idea a headscarf could be so fashionable!  However, she seems a little too one-dimensional as a role model.  She loves fashion, her family, music, and sports, but has no aspirations outside of the home.  They don't have astronaut Fulla and president Fulla to say the least.  Though she does come with a kickin' pink prayer mat.  I like a doll who is not afraid to show her faith.  So I wouldn't mind a Fulla doll around here, but they don't sell them at Minnesota Walmarts (but maybe at Egyptian Walmarts?  Does Egypt have Walmarts?).  And like I said, a little too one-dimensional for my taste.

So let's bring it back to Barbie.  She's as American as apple pie (you decide if that's a good or a bad thing).  She is definitely a fashion queen, but then again that's what Vi likes about her.  But she's more than that.  I had no idea how much more until I looked it up.  Of course she's been in touch with her stereotypical feminine side as a ballerina, babysitter, model, and cheerleader (yuck).  But she's also been a surgeon, special education teacher, paratrooper, UNICEF summit diplomat, firefighter, paleontologist, NASCAR driver, rockstar, bus driver, news anchor, clothing designer, and Starfleet officer.  Barbie has ambition and chutzpah, but also cares for others.  And Barbie graduates every single year.

Not only that, but she managed not to get pregnant until Ken "put a ring on it" despite his irresistable advances.  That is a feat not just anyone can manage.  And while she did have a c-section, she had an old old old school (medieval school) all-natural c-section with no drugs (at least there was none in the pregnant Barbie package I saw).  Props to you Barbie, props to you.

So, as I've grown, Barbie has grown on me too.  She's got balls, she's artsy, she's got a brain, a family, lots of friends, and a rockin' bod.  Barbie, I'm sorry I was so bitchy at you for all those years.  I was just hating you because you were beautiful.  You have my respect and admiration now.  And I would be proud to have you in my house for my daughter to dress and my sons to rip your head off and march around the livingroom chanting "Sac-ri-fice! Sac-ri-fice!".  Yeah.  Sorry about that.  Boys will be boys.

When Grown-Ups Stop Acting Like Grown-Ups

My hubby is a bit of a crossword fanatic, so every day he brings one home from work that he was working on at lunchtime.  I help him out a bit and usually between the two of us we can get darn close to knocking them out.  Saturday is no different, so he chugs up to the gas station to get the early Sunday edition of the Strib.  So it's kind of nice then on Saturday I can peruse the news too instead of just the crossword section he brings home and the adjacent "articles" (in case you were wondering, it would only take about 45 minutes and 40 bucks per decade to keep your sensitive MIL happy by sending her birthday cards, well worth the investment - ah the things you learn from reading the newspaper).

So this morning I was doing just that - perusing the paper.  And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but an article stating that the Wisconsin Democrats are "in hiding".  The state troopers have been enlisted to try and sniff them out.

"Why on earth are they hiding?", I wonder.  "Is there another madman on the loose plugging representatives?"

My curiosity piqued, I read on.  Turns out there's no serial killer on the loose.  No envelopes full of anthrax fluttering in the air.  There's a vote.  A vote on a bill.  The whole reason that these people were elected in the first place.  To vote on bills.  And the Democrats are hiding because they don't wanna vote.  They don't wanna and they say they are willing to stay in hiding for weeks.


Are you kidding me???!!!!

I'm no Democrat, but I'm not a staunch Republican either.  If I had to pick the party that represented my ideas best I think I'd have to go with the Constitution party, though I have issues with them too.  So don't think I'm riding high on my elephant when I say, "Suck it up, babies!"

This is how democracy works.  People elect who they think will represent them best.  Those people propose and vote on bills and such to make the laws that make our world go round.  If you don't like who you picked, you pick someone else next time.  What you DON'T do is say, "I'm not coming to work because things aren't going my way."  And what you REALLY don't do is get all your friends to go hide too.  Give me a break!!!!

Did I go hide in a closet when John McCain was nominated instead of Ron Paul?  Did I lay on the floor and cry when Obama was elected president?  No!  Because every day I wake up and put on my big girl panties.  Did I refuse to pay taxes when Obama's healthcare plan passed?  No.  Maybe I should have, but I didn't, because that's the way the system works.  That's the game we play.  And I don't quit playing just because I'm not winning right now.  Methinks maybe the Wisconsin Democrats accidentally bought Rainbow Brite and Bart Simpson Underoos at Target instead of some sensible Hanes.  Just sayin'...

Is what is going on with the Republicans very fair?  No.  I concede that.  But that's what you get when you insist on a two party system.  If you had more people from the Green party or Constitution party in there, then maybe you wouldn't have this problem.  Things would be a little more fair, balanced, and middle-ground for everyone.  But we're not playing that game.  We're playing two-party politics and the Democrats are getting skunked over there.  It sucks, but it doesn't mean you throw a fit and go pout.  I have to tell Henry and Mitchell that almost every time we play a game.  Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but if you quit in the middle just because you're behind, you're not very fun to play with.  It's a concept they haven't learned very well yet.  But I guess I shouldn't worry too much because it looks like the Wisconsin Democrats have gotten all the way to adulthood without learning that lesson and they seem to be doing alright for themselves.

And it's not like the Republicans are trying to propose reviving slavery or anything.  It's just money people.  Money gets given and taken in a million unfair ways by our government every day.  It's the nature of the beast.  And collective bargaining?  Again, millions of people living without it right now in America.  And don't get me started on teacher's unions.  There's a blog post coming up about them in particular.  But seriously, this really doesn't seem like something worth giving up your dignity over.

So, political tirade over, I'm pretty intrigued that they have the troopers looking for them.  What are they going to do if they find them?  Is it like hide and seek?  When they get found will they give up and come back?  Or is this more of a Steven Cowan incident?  Will they have to be dragged back in cuffs, kicking and screaming?  Can you make someone vote in cuffs?  If you uncuff them at the capitol building, will they just starting throwing out kung fu moves and make a break for the door again?  My mind is full of questions.

I hope the state troopers have better luck hunting down the Democrats across the border in Illinois than the military has hunting down Osama across the border in Pakistan.  Will the democrats grow long beards?  Does Illinois have much in the way of cozy caves to hide in?

As much as this astounds me, I was even more disgusted to learn that this isn't the first time the Democrats have gone and pouted.  In 2003 in Texas apparently they hid because they didn't want to vote on redrawing congressional districts.  Wow.

Seriously, I think that upon election, at your swearing in, they should issue you some big kid undies.  I'd be willing to have my taxes raised if it was going to buying the Democrats a little self respect.

Now, I realize my views are not everyone's views, so tell me what YOU think!  Leave me a comment or even better, post your own blog on the topic and leave the link in the comments so I can surf on over and peek inside your brain too :-)

We're Not in Kansas Anymore

So this is our first winter in a rural area.  I'm a suburban mama born and bred, but we've made the big move out to the country.  The winter has been just gorgeous.  Snow covered trees, lots of animal tracks in the freshly fallen snow.  But today I encountered something I hadn't anticipated.  As I was driving down the road, I saw a deer heading into a cornfield.  Awww, how cute, how majestic, I love wildlife sightings.

 

But then... he DIDN'T head into the cornfield.  Didn't move at all in fact.  After a closer inspection I found that this wasn't a real live deer after all.  It wasn't plastic either.

Everyone has heard of the hick sport of cow tipping, loved by hillbillies everywhere.  'Round here though, in Minnesota, where it gets to 20 degrees below zero, we have a winter time version of this sport too.  

It's called roadkill righting.

Yup, that's a dead deer.  Frozen solid and propped up in the snow.  Classy Isanti, classy.