I pledge to raise a peaceful child.

It’s no longer enough for people to be non-violent, to not add to the problem, we need people who will work against violence.  And in order for those people to exist, we need to help shape them.

Our children can grow up to be the generation to say enough is enough.  To say that human beings are smart enough and kind enough and brave enough to say no to prejudice and hate.  It’s such a very big problem, but let’s do what we can to end it.

I pledge to never laugh at a racist or sexist joke, even if it makes things awkward.  I pledge to say what I believe instead.  Our children are watching and listening, always.  It’s not enough to not be the one making the joke.  It’s not enough to be silent.

I pledge to seek out diverse schools and churches and communities for my son to be a part of.  Because it’s knowing real people, of all kinds, on a personal level, that puts a stop to hate.

I pledge to talk about race in our house, even if it makes me uncomfortable.

I pledge to read books and listen to music and admire art from all different cultures with my son.

I pledge to celebrate different cultures by cooking their recipes and going to eat their food at authentic restaurants because food brings us together and gives us a glimpse into the beauty of different groups of people.

I pledge to say “hello” to people of different races when I see them on the street.  People tend to stick to their own groups because it’s easier and I don’t want to ever perpetuate that, but especially not when my son is with me.

I pledge to talk to him about bullying, about standing up for people, and about connecting with people who are different, or who may look different, but really have so much in common.

I pledge to do everything I possibly can to raise a child who will not only not add to the violence of the world, but who will do what he can to stop it.

It’s a scary world out there and it’s easy to feel like we can’t do anything to make it better.  But we can, and we should.  We can do a million mundane, seemingly insignificant things that help shape our children every day, and add up to something real.

We have a big, often daunting, job trying to talk to our children about everything that’s going on.  But we also have an awesome responsibility and a beautiful opportunity to help them be the kind of people who will work hard to build a better future.

It’s never too early to start the conversation.

It’s that time again!  First, here’s a recap of last month’s goals.  I have to say, they went better than usual, although I think it’s mostly just because I’m setting more realistic goals. #thinksmall

September Goals:

1. Set an alarm clock: Success!  I set my alarm for 5 or 5:30, depending on how much I had to do, Monday through Thursday all month except for a few days when my father in law was visiting.  I got so much more done and felt much less stressed.  I’m a major morning person and have trouble doing creative things like writing later in the day, so I did most of my writing in these early morning hours.  Also, not setting an alarm Friday through Sunday kept me from getting too exhausted.  I definitely plan to continue this going forward.
2. Run twice a week: I didn’t keep track, but I mostly did this.  Now I need to get better about rolling / stretching my injured foot because I’m definitely feeling it.
3. Finish James’s Baby Book: I finished and ordered the first half of his baby book (I’m making it on Shutterfly and it’s too many pages for one book).  I still need to finish the second half, but am hoping to get that done soon because I have a great coupon expiring October 15.
4. Plan Backyard Updates: I did not really do this.  I did some preliminary research on improving grass and got overwhelmed and stopped.  I did plant some more flowers though, so it’s looking a little better!

October Goals:

1. Make Montessori work for James: I am super uncrafty, but this post has so many great ideas for simple Montessori work for 12-14 month olds and I would love to spend some time making some of it for James.
2. Work on long-term writing projects: I’ve started doing some freelance writing, which I am SO excited about, but I also have a couple of personal long-term writing projects that I really don’t want to lose sight of.  I’m hoping to set aside one day a week to work on those.
3. Find / make fun recipes for James: I was doing great with this for a while, but I lately I feel like I’ve been scrambling a bit with James’s meals (when he’s not eating what we’re eating) and I’d really like to make some new fun things for him, especially to have for lunch.  My friend Laura sent me this website, which looks so great, I just need to spend some time on there!
4. Choose a half marathon plan: I’ve been running a bit more lately, but still haven’t mapped out any actual plan for the half I’m running with my brother in Januray.  It’s been so long since I’ve run any sort of distance race and I know I need to give myself plenty of time to build up mileage, so I’m hoping to choose a plan soon.

And that’s all I’ve got!  Keeping it simple as usual.

Do you have any goals for the month?

I don’t often share weekend recaps because I don’t like feeling pressure to go do all the things (#homebody), and because I often forget to take pictures when we’re out and about.

We’ve had so much fun the last week though that I wanted to share.  My father in law is visiting from Wisconsin for James’s birthday and yesterday was also my husband’s birthday (happy birthday!!!!!)

I don’t think he cares at all, but I actually feel kind of bad for my husband because his birthday is only five days after James’s and I have a feeling it might get overshadowed sometimes.  It’s a good thing he likes pizza parties as much as any kid I’ve ever met 😉

Here are the highlights, sentence (or two) per picture style.

It doesn’t rain much here, so when it does we make sure to watch.

Is one old enough to drink coffee?

James enjoyed helping Dad put together his new walker wagon.

This super blurry photo from his birthday is one of my favorites, pure joy.

He’s working on his death stare.  I think it’s looking pretty good.

The water table was a big hit!

We also made him a family picture board book for his birthday using Pinhole Press and he loved it right away.  I can’t wait to make him more board books!

White or orange?  Every man must choose.

James took an extra long nap Saturday morning and I sat outside and finished this book – it was glorious.

James had so much fun with his Grandpa!

We went for a walk on Austin’s greenbelt and stopped to play in the water – that face!

There’s a park about a mile from our house and I love that he’s getting old enough to play there!  He loves climbing around and watching the big kids.

What’s a recent highlight from your life?

Do you have any fun birthday traditions?

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