China Mom
April 2011
04/26/11Battle Hymn of the Honey Badger MotherHave you seen the funny – and oh so inappropriate for children, work and polite society – video about the honey badger that’s been floating around the web lately? If not, please go to a remote location, prepare yourself for foul language and take a look. If you don’t have time or inclination, I’ll summarize: honey badger don’t care. The honey badger has been referred to as the most fearless creature in the animal kingdom. If it’s hungry, it doesn’t care where its food comes from. The honey badger endures – and ignores – bee stings so it can eat bee larvae and will even devour a cobra long after said cobra has bitten it. Why? Because the honey badger don’t care. I wish I could be more like the honey badger. Not eat what I want when I want and live a life of... Posted at 11:29 PM | Permalink |
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04/19/11Remembering Oklahoma CityHard to believe it’s been 16 years since the words “Oklahoma City” basically became synonymous with domestic terrorism and a tragic bombing that tore lives and families apart. As I listened to the reports of today’s anniversary, I couldn’t help but think about the children who were in the daycare center. Forever frozen as toddlers in our memories, those children would be around 18 today. They would be getting their driver's licenses or graduating from high school next month – and yet, in our minds, they’re still in daycare. Childhood goes by so quickly I sometimes think we don't get to enjoy our children as much as we can or want to because our adult lives get in the way. Grown-up problems and daily life distract us from remembering that our children are taken away... Posted at 01:44 PM | Permalink |
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04/12/11I see a princess...through my tearsI'm such a sap. There I was this morning, in my daughter's ballet class' "parent watch day" watching what I guess is best described as "dress dress rehearsal" for her dance recital. Through teary eyes. There she was twirling and leaping to "I See a Princess" from The Princess and the Frog and I was glad I could hide behind my camcorder so no one could see my misty eyes. See? Such a sap. Why do I get so emotional over such things? Every time I watch her dance or sing onstage or flip on an uneven bar I get all choked up. Is it because I know she enjoys it so much? Is it because I waited so long for these moments? Or is it something more? Something deeper? Is it because I see that flicker of a little girl who could have grown up in an orphanage, never knowing this... Posted at 09:31 PM | Permalink |
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04/10/11Party, party, party!Piper celebrating her 2nd birthday at home. The spring birthday parties are starting. It seemed like there was a lull there for a couple of months, but things are heating up and those handwritten invitations to my daughter are showing up in the mail again. I'm not complaining! I love birthday parties. It's just... Remember when you were little and had a birthday party? You invited your friends, they came over, played a few games, ate some cake, watched you open presents and went home - right? What happened? Why do our kids have to bounce or paint or dress up or swim? When did children's birthday parties become such a chore - and an expense? I'll admit, we've fed the beast for several years now and don't plan to stop. With a December birthday, our house... Posted at 05:36 PM | Permalink |
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04/01/11Searching for role models among dragon ladies & China dollsOne of the biggest challenges I face as a mom is finding strong role models for my daughter. Not female role models in general – I can do that – but Asian female role models. It’s difficult here in Middle America where, face it, there aren’t a lot of Asians. Fortunately, she has a great role model in her Chinese teacher, Min, and for that I am extremely grateful. But I yearn for more and it would be nice if Hollywood could help. But, as the trailer for a new 30-minute documentary, Slaying the Dragon: Reloaded shows, movie directors and producers are still portraying Asian women as dragon ladies and China dolls. The documentary is an update to the original, Slaying the Dragon, produced in 1988. We haven’t come very far. Hollywood continues to perpetuate the myth... Posted at 10:03 AM | Permalink |
When Karen Szabo adopted her daughter Piper from China back in 2006, she didn't know she was also adopting a new passion for and interest in adoption and international adoption issues. But ever since she wrapped her arms around her sweet little girl, she's been drawn to adoption-related stories - and formed a few opinions along the way. She'll share these and write about her own experiences as an adoptive mom - and just an ordinary mom.
