My two cents

I came across this blog post titled "My son is gay" via facebook. Since its posting it has received millions of web hits and national news coverage. If you've not heard about it you can read it here.
After sharing the link on facebook I received some feedback from friends and family expressing their opinions on the matter. After a few days of thinking about it I've got an opinion of my own.
Here is what I think:
This is a mother whose love for her son is obvious. I think we should all give her a break as she has, apparently, lost her copy of the "how to be a perfect parent" manual and is now winging it.

If I were in her shoes (I very well may be one day given my son's infatuation with Dora and her backpack) and given an identical set of circumstances I don't know that I would do things much differently. I think, certainly, I'd try and sell him on other costume choices but in the end if all he wanted to be for Halloween was Dora or Tinkerbell or whatever I'd allow it.
My brother, after reading her blog post, stated that he would never allow his son to wear that costume and that he believes this mother has made her son a target for ridicule. Perhaps, but ridicule by whom? At the age of five, the boy's pre-K classmates weren't the ones pointing and making faces. It was other mothers. I think this is shameful. Being a mother (parent) is hard enough with out having other people pass judgement on your decisions.

As a relatively new mother I am constantly second guessing myself; worrying over how the decisions I make and the actions I take or fail to take will effect my son. When Liam was a baby we were told that co-sleeping was bad, that if we didn't roll over and crush him in his sleep then the sheer act of sharing a family bed would render him dependant and unable to sleep alone. I made the choice to have Liam sleep in the bed with us because it worked for us. And then at six months, when it stopped working for us, we transitioned him to a crib in his own room.
When we chose to use The Ferber Method of progressive waiting to help Liam to fall asleep on his own I was told it was cruel and neglectful and Liam could grow to be a man with trust issues because I didn't pick him up every time he cried from his crib. Yet in three nights he learned to go to bed and fall asleep on his own without throwing a production complete with tears and hyperventilating. My point is I did what I thought was best for my son. and it worked for us. which is all that counts. I would wager a guess that my nephew, (now a college athlete in love with a beautiful girl) looking back would be glad that his father didn't allow him to wear a Daphne costume for Halloween when he was five. That choice would have been the right one for his son.

I don't know this woman or her son. All I know is that I am in no position to judge her for doing what she believes is best for her son. When he's in college and he brings a date home to meet mom, he'll either be mortified at the prospect of her showing off his 5 year old self in a Daphne costume or he'll be grateful that his mother knew that acceptance breeds self-confidence and even at 5 encouraged him to be himself. With all the media attention bullying has be getting lately I think its important that as role models we take a good long look at how we are treating each other. Our children are watching.

Halloween 2010

As most of you already know Liam has been in an exclusive relationship with Nemo for about a year now. So when my sister-in-law asked me what he would like to be for Halloween there was only one right answer. And being the Halloween Queen she found the cutest most ridiculous Nemo costume on the market and got it for Liam.
Honestly, I didn't think we would ever be able to top the Lobster costume from last year... but we did!

Liam took some time warming up to the costume. By which I mean we spent weeks putting it on him only to have him shriek and kick and pull at the shoulders until we took off of him. Then one day we put it on him and to our surprise, he was delighted. And the kicker, once in costume he insisted on being called Nemo. Wouldn't answer to "Liam" no, no. But "Nemo" Yes, mother? You called?

We had a very busy day on Halloween. We spent the afternoon at our friend Noelle's 2nd birthday party which was a blow out party, as far as 2 year old birthdays go. Lots of great food, balloon animals, a bouncy house, craft table, bobbing for apples..
And of course a pinata! It was decided that hitting Dora and Diego with a bat would be too upsetting for the littler ones, especially Noelle who had a special place in her heart for Diego. So instead they make them with ribbons to pull. Pull the right ribbon and the candy is released.
In theory.
In practice, when you pull the right ribbon it decapitates Dora. The kids didn't really notice because they were too busy frantically looking for the candy that was still safely inside Dora's torso. That was now on the lawn. Still connected to the ribbon Liam was holding.

After the party we hit a nearby neighborhood for some trick or treating!

We had some issues coming to an agreement regarding the consumption of candy immediately upon receiving it... Finally we worked out an m&m payment plan

Shortly after the m&m's ran out the sugar crash arrived and squashed Liam's will to walk. That was our cue to call it quits and head home.I Hope everyone had a happy and safe Halloween. I, for one, am glad its over simply because now that November is here we are officially entering the Christmas holiday season! You can't subdue my joy. Consider yourself warned.

He who is not with Me is against Me. (Luke 11:23)