I love this picture. Latham is full on in the mix these days. When I am busy cleaning up the kitchen, this little stinker sneaks back to her sisters' room and gets into all of their stuff. She will often emerge with their most prized possessions - their American Girl Dolls or their jewelry.
This week, a cold front came in. Highs in the mid 50's -- BURRRRRR. It would be all well in good if this little lady in pink above didn't insist on only wearing sundresses. No socks, no pants, no coats....seriously peeps, it makes getting ready in the morning A LOT OF FUN!
Tomorrow I am off to Nashvegas for my 15 year college reunion. Fun times are certain to be had.
I love this picture of Vaughan running by the horses. Her excitement is bursting - her eyes all lit up. Needless to say, the girls were beyond excited to go horseback riding.
We went out to Burge Plantation for a night. It was a chance to get away, go horseback riding, fishing, grill out, make smores, make memories.
But, you know, horses are really big and that means that horseback riding can be a bit scary. Vaughan was tentative and it took some coaxing to get her up on Abigail.
However, Miss Linda is an excellent horse instructor and she got Vaughan up on that horse and had her riding hands free!
Ellery felt more confident from the start. She hopped up on that horse with a smile on her face. She was riding without hands, then backwards and then - lo and hold - our sweet child was standing on that horse!
Suddenly, Ellery was riding the horse without any help from Linda. This little thing was out on her own (and not in a ring, mind you.)
Apparently, she is a real natural when it comes to these horses. Linda asked if we had any riders in our family. Alan and I both looked at each other quizzically. Should I recount my horseback riding story from camp where my horse bit the tail of the horse in front and that horse bucked and my horse went running off through the woods? It didn't end well, I emerged from the woods with scratched arms, tears streaming down my face, and a real fear of horses. Does it make me a rider?
This morning, I was sipping a cup of tea (my attempt to keep warm without cranking the heat) while glancing through my twitter feed. I saw a tweet about a 10 month old baby who was missing from her crib. My stomach knotted up. Is that not a parent's worst nightmare? You go to check on your sleeping baby to find an empty crib?
Immediately, I needed to know more about this story, about this baby, about this tragedy. I quickly opened my browser and went to cnn.com. I scanned the headlines looking for a story about a missing baby. Instead I found this:
Glue mistaken for eye drops
Cocaine washes up on beach
Woman attacked by crow
Bear attacks couple in home
Girl hit by car, driver beaten
Deployed Marine to get root beer
Daycare loses 18 month old
These were the headlines under US News this morning. Is that not simply depressing?
Now, let me tell you about something positive you can do!
Thanks to those of you who read my post on the Girl Effect. A few of you sent messages asking about ways you can help, wondering what you can do to get involved.
In Half the Sky, they list four steps you can take in the next ten minutes. They are:
Go to www.globalgiving.org or www.kiva.org to open an account. Both sites are people to epople, meaining they link you directly to a person in need overseas, and this makes them an excellent way to dip your toe in.
Sponsor a girl or a woman through Plan International, Women for Women, World Vision, or American Jewish Service.
Sign up for email updates on www.womensenews.org or www.worldpulse.com. Both distribute info about abuses of womena nd sometimes can advise on actions that readers can take.
I mentioned last week that I have been reading, hearing, encountering, facing, examining and experiencing the strength and the importance of women. Today, a number of bloggers out here on the world wide web are blogging about the Girl Effect. I felt moved to participate as well. I am a girl, I have three girls -- but most importantly I understand the impact educating girls can have on the world, especially the developing world. Here are some facts:
Medical complications from pregnancy are the leading cause of death among girls ages 15-19. Compared with women ages 20-24, girls ages 10-14 are five times more likely to die from childbirth, and girls 15-19 are up to twice as likely, worldwide.
When a girl in the developing world receives seven or more years of education, she married four years later and has 2.2 fewer children.
When women and girls earn income, they reinvest 90% of it into their families, as compared to only 30-40% for a man.
25% of girls in developing countries are not in school.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) summed up the mounting research this way: "Women's empowerment helps raise economic productivity and reduce infant mortality. It contributes to improved health and nutrition. It increases the chances of education for the next generation."
From Half the Sky "Girls who are denied access to education are more likely to be trapped in a cycle of poverty and disease, forced into child marriage and prostitution, become victims of sex trafficking, domestic violence, and so-called honor killings."
Check out the Girl Effect website and check out this link - if you have your own blog maybe you can blog about the Girl Effect too? I hope you feel compelled to act.
You must be the change you wish to see in the world -- Mahatma Ghandi
