Indoctrinating the Exersaucer set?!

Let's begin things on a happy note with a pic of Caitrin stealing my sunglasses at Blackwater Falls. Over the past few days I've received the nicest notes and emails from all over telling me how much people appreciate our blog. I honestly had no idea whether anyone besides Sean was reading this, so knowing that there are people who not only read what I have to say but like it, is pretty flattering. Thanks guys!

Now I've gotta get some things off my chest. I apologize in advance if I offend or alienate anyone, as that is not my intention.

A few months ago I joined a children's book club so that I can build Caitrin's library without paying a fortune. As in the majority of the decisions I make, this one was made with a great deal of deliberation. I scoured their mailings for a few months to be sure that their offerings promoted early learning, Christian values, and moral fortitude before I signed up. I was thoroughly impressed in particular by the number of Christian books they offered. It's now been four or five months since I joined, and I had always felt confident in the club's selection. And then I got this month's mailing. Smack dab in the center of the circular, above the fold and in gaudy bold colors, is a 3/4 page flourish touting the book Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope, intended for an audience 4-6 years in age. The cover of said atrocity features a portrait of the "Obamessiah" bathed in beams of light. A portrait that, Sean pointed out, is intended to evoke Catholic imagery of Jesus, the Pope, or the Blessed Mother.

I was incensed. Those of you who know me well can guess, I'm certain, at all the levels on which this offended me. Obama is a Marxist, socialist baby killer, for starters. And it's perfectly acceptable to slay Sarah Palin's character by spreading sickening and libelous rumors about the governor and her family, but say ANYTHING about Obama and you're a narrow-minded racist "hater." Mind you, the club made no show of offering anything that could remotely be construed as balancing the scales. No books about John McCain, war hero or Ronald Reagan and the fall of the Soviet empire. Nothing angers me more, however, than the suggestion that our littlest ones be indoctrinated in any political ideology. There is no place for liberalism or conservatism on the playgrounds of America. Young children (and I'll go so far as to include all children from birth through the early teen years) lack the ability to discern fact from opinion. In our household, Sean and I have very strong political views. I hope and believe that one day our children will choose those views for their own. But until Caitrin and her future siblings are old enough and mature enough to form their own opinions, you can be assured that we will NOT be reading to them about how any Presidential candidate is the Messiah. Our children will be reading the teachings of the true Messiah, Jesus Christ, instead. This concludes Rant Number One.

Quickly, as Caitrin is already awake from her morning nap, one more point. I've been feeling a great deal of pressure (much of which is self-imposed, but just as much comes from outside sources) to throw the ultimate first birthday party for Caitrin. She only turns one once, after all. One of the many things Mom and Dad did SO right when we were growing up was to keep birthday celebrations to just our immediate family, grandparents, and an aunt or uncle or two. Mom would always bake our favorite cake and make us anything we wanted for dinner. We would decorate with balloons and streamers, and the whole dining room table would be piled high with presents (even in the leanest times - thanks, Mom and Dad!). After dinner, the grandparents, aunts and uncles would come and we'd have cake and ice cream and open presents. These celebrations were always so special. This is a tradition Sean and I want to continue in our family. So I'll be baking a ladybug cake for Caitrin. I've bought plates and napkins and streamers in ladybug-inspired colors. I'll probably make her pancakes for dinner, and then the relatives who are close by will come for cake and ice cream and we'll watch Caitrin rip into her presents. We'll take loads of pictures, and she'll be able to stick to her nap schedule so that she'll be rested enough to enjoy her special day. Probably only perfect according to our standards, but aren't those the only ones that matter?