Are We Really "Born This Way"? (1 of 2)

I'm beautiful in my way, 'cause God makes no mistakes,

I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way.

--Lady Gaga, "Born This Way"

And now for a nature/ nurture presentation from our sponsors. LOL.

Seriously, I decided to write this post today after having read an article posted on Facebook and the comments that followed. The article was about a father's support of his "gay" 7-year-old son. Heartwarming, right?

Not to some people, of course.

Me at Halloween dressed as a Yankee - age 10

Preview: The Scary Place That Is My Psyche

I finally decided to do what I swore I wouldn't on this blog - and that is let all of cyberspace know just how crazy I am.

I know, I know, it's long been painfully obvious.

But seriously.....recent events in my life and conversations I've had have prompted me to begin writing a series of posts about my own process of self-discovery and some of my childhood experiences. Don't be disappointed when it turns out not to be totally earth-shattering, because it isn't.

However, it is deeply personal stuff, some of which I've only confided to very close friends. But reading an article about another child's experience of not fitting the gender stereotype "mold," whatever that is, and the opinions people expressed about that situation, made me want to write more than I have in a long time.

Not only is it good for me to do that for myself, but it might also be good for other people - for people who feel intolerant of anything remotely "different," for the kids who feel "different," and for the parents who feel afraid or disappointed or just confused when their kid seems like he or she might be "different." Maybe only a handful of people will read it, and that's okay - it's good for me to relive things that are hard and to remember how far I've come.

But maybe, just maybe, it would be useful to hear about these things from the kid's perspective. So, tune in tomorrow and Thursday, and I'll tell you exactly what it feels like to be "different."

Mind Your Own Beeswax!

I heard this expression a lot growing up. Everyone's always got something to say - whether they're asked for their two cents or not. I confess I am among the guilty. And, like everyone else, I should probably mind my own business. I do try, I swear!

But nowhere is this social compulsion to butt in more prevalent than in the world of parenting. It's as if having a child guarantees you'll be the recipient of more "wisdom" than ever before. Except there's one problem.

I didn't really ask for it. And I bet you didn't either.

Anna's response to many things these days

Photos of the Week: Chocolate High

Wow.  It's been almost a week since I last posted - which, I believe, is a first in the history of this blog. And it's an event I hope will not be repeated. I have really missed writing!

I hope all of you who celebrated it had a happy, fun Easter..... including those of you who just enjoy it for the chocolate! In honor of all you chocolate lovers, here's our Photo of the Week:

This one cracked me up. I have no idea who gets the credit for it, as I discovered it like some of you may have, circulating around Facebook. But whoever it is, my hat's off to them for the comedic genius.

Of course, I can't resist including one more of our Pie, who loved the Easter festivities even if she felt a bit overwhelmed at certain moments, like this one:

"You said I could have this candy, right? Like right now, in the morning?"

She reminds me of a deer in headlights - she's not sure whether to trust that she can actually have the candy. LOL. Hope you had a fabulous day and there WILL be more to come this week on MLWP, so please stay tuned!

Photo of the Week: A Frog in Her Throat?

Hello all!

I've really been out of commission lately. Too much to do, not enough time, and definitely not enough energy - all of these have kept me away from one of the few things I actually really enjoy doing, and that's blogging.

For the past few days, our poor Pie has really been under the weather. She's caught Heidi's cold/fever/yucky stuff in the nose combo. Anna did rally briefly the other evening, long enough to don her froggy costume and play with her bud Izzy B...but the second wind didn't last long.

I was in the bedroom checking my email when I felt my froggy snuggle into my back. I thought she was just waiting for me, so a couple of minutes later I said, "Okay, let's go play!" .... only to find her totally passed out on the bed behind me.

So here's our Photo of the Week:

It's not easy being green.....