Walking with Kids

I have to remember that even in this heat, these kids of mine think everything is worth stopping for. Every rock on the ground and airplane in the sky. Every bird call requires speculation as to how big "that eagle was..." regardless of wether or not there was actually an eagle. usually not. I have to remember that it isn't about me, it's about them and how I hope they'll see the world when they start making their own decisions. It's about showing them that they can trust me. That I know they want whatever it is and chances are that I have a plan in place to get it for them and 'now would you please hold my hand so we can cross the street to get to the playground where you want to go?!' The point of putting cut up fruit low in the fridge is not to save me the trip of actually putting the knitting down to feed them (ok, maybe a little) but to give them the feeling that they have power over at least some parts of their day. A well supplied art drawer where they can get to their projects helps keep the house well decorated them feel like they can create whenever they want. Nursing The ManChild whenever he needs it keeps me on his time... and now they are pulling me upstairs for bed, and he is very upset... boobies out!

This Is Bigger Than Leaky

There is more to this attack on our right to breastfeed than just the deletion of The Leaky Boob. A few weeks ago the personal page of Guggie Daly was removed because "it violated Facebooks terms of service."


Excerpt from "Safety"

We do our best to keep Facebook safe, but we cannot guarantee it. We need your help to do that, which includes the following commitments:

1. You will not bully, intimidate, or harass any user.
2. You will not post content that: is hateful, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence; or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence.
3. You will not develop or operate a third-party application containing alcohol-related or other mature content (including advertisements) without appropriate age-based restrictions.
4. You will not use Facebook to do anything unlawful, misleading, malicious, or discriminatory.

Excerpt from "Protecting Other People's Rights"

We respect other people's rights, and expect you to do the same.

1. You will not post content or take any action on Facebook that infringes or violates someone else's rights or otherwise violates the law.

Sooo, it seams to me that almighty Facebook has not read the terms of service. Here we go-

     1) Ok, really this should be obvious. But in case you missed the connection, I'll help you. How is repeatedly removing our support after endless apeals and pleas from users to help us educate people about breastfeeding not bullying. That is like the smart kid getting beaten up all the time for getting good grades. Aren't there anti bullying laws now in most states? 

     2) (in order ) My breast milk hates everybody! It hates you, your momma, the dinner you made last week AND you car! Dude, bitch my boobs will so kick your ass, You don't even have to some closer- I'll squirt you in the eye! ... K, the porno-one is hard because creepy people DO troll our sites and take our pictures (But don't freak out and pull stuff. If you are smart about the people you friend and the pics you use on your profile, you will be fine) This beautiful photo of my baby nursing will incite riots over the lack of education in this country. Really? Have you ever been to Kim Kardashian's page?

     3) Mafia. Isn't that an ap about selling "contraband", building your "family and shooting people?

     4) Teaching about breastfeeding is not misleading, it is the truth. And we want to help, not judge all mothers, no matter how they feed their babies. 

    

     So isn't Facebook infringing on our rights by removing almost everything related to nursing? If you search for key words in the search bar it is so easy to see erect penises and dildos, or almost completely naked breasts (I would never be able to show that much skin just nursing! lol); Find violent or hateful (or both)- I mean dead baby jokes? C'mon.

Please, reinstate The Leaky Boob, leave Guggie Daly alone, and if a momma is brave enough to post a pic of her nursing the light of her life, please just let her be. Because if you leave us alone, the time will come when mothers don't online support just to feed their children- their friends, family, partner will be there is reality to help her.

Nursing on Facebook is Hateful... Oh I'm Glad Someone Told Me!

There just doesn't seam to be enough outrage at the fact that Facebook removes the pics women post of themselves nursing their babies. I understand that some people might not like the practice. OK, I guess, that seams kinda ignorant and stupid. But they don't have to look at the pics, they can just keep going. The Facebook "Nurse-In" was supposed to show FB how many people on that social networking site think that nursing is NOT offensive. At last count I think there were about 6,000 people "attending". Enough people to make the FB bots flag the event as "hateful, threatening or offensive" but not enough to really get support for the movement.
There are sooo many worse pics on FB than a woman nursing her baby. In fact, someone who has photos on his page that I would NEVER want my kids looking at (it shows a very scantily clad woman crouched at crotch level to a man holding 2 guns, so not only does it objectify women but it also glorifies violence) is someone I feel very close to. Over my time living in the American South, he and his girl (who is currently expecting a boy) became very close to me and my man. And no matter how I feel about his pics, I would never EVER flag his pics because they are publicity for his movie and that (acting and rapping) is how he feeds his family. I know him to be one of the nicest guys I have ever met!

SOOOO, this is offensive, shows too much skin for you Facebook Bots?

But this is OK?

And this isn't even one of the bad. It doesn't really bother me, but I have a hard time believing people would flag the "Nurse-In" because of sexual, violent or offensive content but then leave stuff like this all over the damn place.
oh well
yay bobbies

A Good Day Despite....

Well, J Dub left today but despite all that KaBean and I had a great day. As he was getting into the car to drive away I took the offspring to the playground. She was sooooo good. There was no fighting, she even told ME it was time to go and have lunch. yay! So we came home, had lunch and she jumped into my bed talking about going to sleep. It's a game she likes to play where she naps and reads stories to Man Child. As nice as that may sound, it is surprisingly roudy. So I pointed out that if she wanted to nap instead of go to ballet class and see Miss Melinda then thats ok. welll.... She picked ballet. yay #2. I got to sit in Headlands and have a piece of cake and some coffee and Man Child NIP and no one said anything, haha. He was so goood, I even read some pages in my new book! holla!
Anyway- Harvest, dinner time, Man Child's bedtime, teeth brush, stories, and finally, the tuck in. She told me she missed her Daddy a few times but she wasn't totally unconsolable. They were both asleep by 8 and I got to work on more Frog Binky Straps for Origin.

Good Night, Blog.

good times

Well J Dub is home. But only for... 10 days. 4 of which we will be camping. That leaves us 6 to get our shit together and find a new home. Or get this one all the way ready for a new baby. But a husband who is 6 foot 6, a very hyper dog, an amazingly "helpful" 2 year old, a new born baby and me might be too many people in not enough space. We currently have one bedroom, one bathroom with no tub, one mid-sized kitchen, one living room and one closet. Thats it, no yard, no office for my work from home hubby, no real storage. To say the least, we're cramped.

As of today, I've decided that I don't really care that no one reads this blog. Writing it at the end of the day makes me feel better.

I think tomorrow I might make some vegan apple muffins. If I can get my kitchen cleaned and K Bean to day care on time. I'm planning another walk with my mom and Isis, my beloved mini lab. The haul road is long and flat and right be the ocean, the perfect place to stroll. Hopefully I don't have any Braxton Hicks again. Those are pretty awful!

By the way it is Nurse In Public week. Or something like that. While K Bean and I no longer nurse, she weaned herself (sad) at 14 months, I fully support all NIP mothers. It makes me happy to see the moms out there who have no problem with it or with what others think. In my community NIP is normal. Most moms I know nurse all over the place, I grew up not even thinking about it. When J Dub and I moved to Georgia and had our first baby and I wanted to nurse I realized that what we do in small town California might not be 'normal.' Huh? I didn't let that stop me or discourage me. I have an amazing partner who supported me through the whole process, even when I declared I wanted to nurse till she was at least 2. His mother thought I was wrong and we were the only family at our ped office who were exclusively breast feeding. But he stood by me. When his clients came to our house for meetings he supported me feeding our daughter in the living room where they could see and if they didn't like it they could go in the office and close the door. I've nursed in the recording studio where outkast recorded some of their first hits. I've nursed in front of gang bangers and the Children of Black Panthers... I am by the way, a white girl. When my next baby is born next month I will proudly nurse him whenever and wherever he needs it. Yay Boobies!!!!