Save the Children (No, Not Those Children)

Close the Camps, an advocacy organization for child immigrants in detention camps, posted on Facebook  about the Save Our Children hashtag (I'm not connecting the hashtag here, because that was an awful mess and I don't want to add to their popularity count). The meme said:  "Save Our Children," followed by a montage of photos of immigrant children in our detention camps, cages packed to the gills with them, all looking utterly miserable.  

The final statement?  "No, Not Those Children."  Ouch.  

You can find the image here:

https://www.facebook.com/CloseCamps/posts/2722954831326631

I'm going to be blunt about this: I find it crazy that up here in Iowa, we shut down businesses for lack of workers, schools for lack of students, main street services and towns for lack of taxpayers--and yet, due to their country of origin and the color of their skin, someone on the southern border decides we don't need these people here. 

I'm radical enough to say that anyone who wants to come here and work hard and start their own business and contribute, who isn't going to harm anyone else, ought to be able to come. Or at least, shouldn't be on a 20 year waitlist for family reunification. 

And certainly never caged up like this, worse than animals.

Snow Day Sunday Thoughts

I'm procrastinating going outside to shovel. More coffee might help, as well as a bit more light outside.

The last week or two, I've been trying to use up things in my cupboards: all the rice, dried beans and peas, and baking supplies that have languished a while between moves and a busy work schedule.

Clearly, my technique is out of practice: even though it tastes good, textures and appearances are a bit off. Kid approval ratings are low. I have lots of lunch fodder for work this week.

With the kids being in preschool and elementary now, life has changed. I'm looking forward to fall when Rosie gets on a bus, since she's always finding ways to delay getting in the car--just like her siblings used to do. It's harder to argue with a bright yellow bus.

Activities for children at this age abound. My policy has been never to push the kids into anything, but to offer a wide variety of options and allow them to pursue their own interests. So far, all four have really latched on to Stebens (children's theater), MacNider (art classes), tumbling (although Sam's interest is waning a bit) and swimming (although Salvadore's been taking a break lately). We did a bit of Scouts and pre-4H last year. It was good, but I think they get too worn out with activities that start at 6 or later. However, they'd still like to do camp this summer.

Well, I might be giving them a slight 'nudge' tomorrow night--I'm taking them to the high school choir department's Follies, a long-standing variety show in which I participated as a student. The kids love music, but have some anxiety about singing or joining a children's choir.

Sam hopes to try youth basketball next year at the Y. Salvadore wants to learn piano, percussion, and strings. Maya and Rose beg for dance lessons. I see that life may be quite busy and full for a while. I'm grateful that these activities are available locally, and many have short seasons--taking a break for summer, or a month-long course at a time. That's helpful for the pocketbook, but also for reclaiming a bit of downtime and sanity in a parenting world that is increasingly competitive, expensive, and 24/7.

--

I've finished the sidewalks ("finished" is a relative term, as it's still snowing), and am hoping our kindly neighbor will bless our driveway with his snowplow once again. Coffee is brewing. Children are chilling. There may yet be pancakes this morning.