Running Red Momma

The season is over and radio stations are returning to normal music. I just thought I would list some of my favorites. I thought it might help for me to confess secret songs I actually like. Sting (I saw three ships) Barenaked Ladies w/ Sarah Mclachlan (God rest ye merry gentleman) Nat King Cole (anything) Handel's the Messiah Jewel (Silent Night) Wham! Last Christmas Band Aid (Do they know it's Christmas time?) Josh Groban (Believe, Ave Maria) Natalie Merchant (Children go where I send thee) And now the confessionals: Christmas Shoes (sometimes I laugh, sometimes I cry) The forgotten carols (Jenny go ahead and laugh) Kurt Bestor (Prayer of the children) Short and Sweet and Confessional

I'm not sure how this will work. But, I would love to include some pictorial examples of joy in our life. Specifically, I would like to document the joys IJ finds each day in our home. What?! You mean eggs don't fly???

I have been reading a great book, Packaging Girlhood . It has been thoughtful and unsettling at the same time. For example, I am now feeling guilty for buying my six-year-old a cheerleading costume from High School Musical. The book confronts messages that young girls are hearing from media, stores, music and anywhere from contemporary culture. It critically examines how the concept of "girl power" has been used to market specific identities to young girls. Part of the book includes discussion of how parents can work with young girls to be more thoughtful regarding advertising, culture and our own conversations. They even give an example of subtext female conversations: One might say: These are the huge thighs of the Nelson family. She hears: We bond or belong by putting ourselves down. Your body (whether the thighs are huge not) will become a great source of disappointment to you. Suggested You Say: Look at these thighs. They're just like Grandma's .