Mattel’s Burqa Barbie Controversy

Barbie is involved in another controversy, i.e. Burqa Barbie. It seems that Mattel has offended some Islamic women, and they’re demanding that Mattel take note. Mattel has produced 500 Barbies in a Burqa for auction in Italy. The auction is part of Barbie’s 50th anniversary. Proceeds will go to the Rewrite the Future, a charity, which helps millions of children around the world effected by conflict.

A representative from Mattel has stated, “I think this is really important for girls, wherever they are from they should have the opportunity to play with a Barbie that they feel represents them”.

Muslim women are offended because the Burqa is not a true representation of Islamic dress, so where is Mattel coming from? Islamic women are fighting to not have to wear a Burqa. The Burqa is believed by Muslim women to be a garment forced on them during the Taliban, it is not mentioned in the Quran; therefore, it should not be seen as a part of their traditional dress. The Quran is our Bible. They see the Burqa as a means to oppress women. Muslim women are required to wear Hijabs, a scarf, to cover their heads and to dress modestly only. The Burqa is worn over a woman’s normal dress when she is outside the home in some Islamic countries. It is made to cover them from head to toe. Because of political instability, it was seen as a way of protecting women so they were forced to wear them.

I normally don’t post on religious or cultural issues, but I believe this concern was important enough to bring to light. Especially since it involved a toy maker. I am somewhat knowledgeable of Islam and I am aware that Islamic women are fighting for rights as women. Rights that we take for granted in this country. Muslim women believe that Mattel should have taken the time to understand the Islamic culture and what it represents before they produced a doll that supposedly represents traditional Islamic dress. Especially, a Barbie doll that little girls will be playing with. Burqas are currently the center of a big controversy in Western Europe. They are being banned because they are not a part of the traditional Islamic dress.I posted on the Burqa Barbie because so many problems are created simply because statements and opinions are formed without having all the facts. What’s funny is Mattel’s Barbie has been banned in most Islamic countries. They see her as being too westernized for their little girls. She has been replaced with the Fulla doll (shown above). This doll is more culturally correct as far as Islamic dress than the Burqa Barbie produced by Mattel.

I patronize Mattel and I will continue; however, a little research will go a long way when it comes to cultural and religious issues. Do you think Mattel should have done their homework before they produced a culturally incorrect Barbie? Do you think the focus was on money rather than the fight of Islamic women for their rights? Would love to hear your thoughts on the Burqa Barbie.

I Won’t Leave My Child To Fight In A War

Meet Army Spc. Alexis Hutchinson, 21. Spc. Hutchinson refused deployment to Afghanistan because she didn’t have anyone to care for her child. Here’s her story, she initially thought her mother would be able to care for her 10 month old son during her year deployment; however, her mother changed her mind at the last minute. You see her mother is currently caring for her elderly mother, her sister and a special needs daughter. In addition to caring for 3 family members, she runs a daycare with 14 children during the day. Her mother stated that the baby would need more care than she would be able to provide with her current responsibilities, so she reneged.

Spc. Hutchinson requested additional time to make arrangements for the baby, but instead of receiving additional time she was ordered to place her child in foster care and deploy as scheduled. She was unable to make other arrangements and refused to place her baby in foster care. She was arrested for not deploying as ordered. Although no criminal charges have been filed against her, she has been confined to her base in Savannah, GA. This soldier is a single mom who is no longer connected to her baby’s daddy. She had no where to turn, and she made the choice that any true mother would make. She refused to leave her 10-month old baby in the care of a stranger while she entered a combat zone. I say you go momma.
Now according to an Army spokesman, the Army would not deploy a soldier who had no one to care for their child. According to Spc. Hutchinson, she was denied additional time to find someone to care for her baby. The Army has vowed to get to the bottom of it what exactly took place with this mother and her superiors. In the meantime, her mother has retrieved the infant since her daughter’s arrest and is caring for him in spite of the burden that it has placed on her.
I will leave my personal views on the wars that we are currently engaged in out of this post, but I applaud this young mother for refusing to leave her child to go to war. I hope that serious actions are taken against the superior who ordered this young lady into a combat zone at the expense of her child. You have to be a pretty heartless person to give that command.
 
Would you have deployed or placed out your hands for the bracelet? I would have been arrested, there’s no way I would have placed my child in foster care especially if I was placing my life on the line. This young mother would have had no peace of mind while she was there. How could she, she would have no idea where her child was or who was caring for him. How could she focus in a war zone not knowing? I would love to hear your opinion on this young mother and what you would have done had you been in her shoes. Please leave us a comment.

My Little Spider Man

Ready To Trick or Treat

Worn Out Spider Man
Xavier choose a Spider Man costume for Halloween. My daughter initially choose an adorable little lion outfit, but he would have none of it. He claimed he was scared of the outfit, lol. In the top picture he was preparing to go out for a few treats. He was so excited. He remembered to say Trick or Treat and Thank You.
 
I may be a little biased, but isn’t he the cutest Spider Man that you’ve ever seen.

My Grandson’s B-Day Gift

I purchased this adorable table and chair set for my grandson’s birthday. He’s into cars and learning to color, finger paint etc., so I thought this would be the perfect gift for him. I found it on a site earlier, but when I went back to purchase it was sold out. I decided to try Walmart, they had it for $40.00 less, free shipping from Site-To-Store, and you could have the chairs personalized. I jumped on it. Unfortunately, we live 5 hours away so we were unable to put it together before we arrived for his party. I’ll post a picture once my son-in-law puts it together.


I love the primary colors, and feel sure that he will get lots of use out of it. Most Matchbox and Hot Wheel cars fit the track, so we’re starting a collection for him. I’ve found that Big Lots carries the Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars for $1.00 each. Since he is only 2, I won’t feel bad if he loses one or two or three, lol. Once he gets older and can truly appreciate them, we’ll invest a little more in the collection.

If you know any place that sells the Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars for a reasonable price, please leave me a comment. If you don’t know where to purchase the cars, leave me a comment anyway. I would love to hear your opinion on this Great Find.

You Call This An Elmo Cake?

Normally I’m an upbeat person and can let most things roll off my back. When it comes to my grandson, MaMa will draw the line. This picture is of my precious Xavier who turned two yesterday. We hosted his party at the Jumping Monkey in Virginia Beach, VA on Saturday. The establishment was responsible for creating his birthday cake. We requested that the bottom be made of cupcakes; the surface (icing) was suppose to cover the cupcakes and contain a picture of Elmo. This is a picture of the cake that they served. Is this the most pathetic Elmo cake that you have seen? It’s damn sure the most pathetic one that I have seen.

To say that I was livid would be an understatement. The icing was 2 inches thick, we had to search for Elmo on the surface of the cake, and get this it had a fish bowl and some character that we have no clue to this day who it is. Hello, the fish bowl is connected to Dr. Seuss not Sesame Street. This is coming from an establishment who caters to children. Kinda scary isn’t it?

Look at the picture, my sweet Xavier doesn’t care. He just wants to lick the icing on the cupcakes. Isn’t it funny, how children can have fun anytime, anywhere and it’s the adults that act a fool when things aren’t perfect. Even so, I refused to pay for this poor excuse for a cake. I look back on it and I can laugh now, but believe me I wasn’t laughing Saturday when they brought it out and set it before him.  My response was truly WTH? I could have made a better looking cake, and I’ve never baked a cake in my life.

My grandson will be visiting this week-end, so I will be having a small cake made at one of the local bakeries.  I just can’t stand the thought of that pathetic cake being in my scrapbook for his second birthday.  I’ll be sending a picture to the Jumping Monkey, so they can see what a real Elmo cake looks like. I’ll be sure to post a picture of the cake we serve this week-end.

Can you relate to my despair? Leave us a comment and let us know about a major disappointment at your child’s birthday party. Haven’t had one, leave a comment on what you think about the cake presented at my grandson’s party, and if you would have been disappointed.

Looks Who’s Turning 2

Newborn – Heading to the Nursery

1st Birthday Party

Eating His Favorite Snack Last Week

It’s hard to believe that my little sweetie is turning 2 in a few weeks. I remember the day he came into this world like it was yesterday. I snapped the top photo of him when he was being taking to the nursery from the delivery room. My life changed forever at that moment, he truly became a part of my heart. There has not been one day that I have not thought about this precious baby boy in the past 2 years.


This is Gran holding him for the first time at the hospital. What a moment it was for me. He was the smallest little fellow. He weighted 5 lbs. 5 oz. I could hold him in the palm of my hand. Quite a difference from my 8 lb. daughter when she was born. I remember telling myself to be gentle, I guess I thought he would break. Everything we purchased was too big for him. Incredibly, the doctors told us that he was going to be a big baby. We were expecting him to weigh around 8 – 9 lbs. Didn’t happen. As you can see he had a head full of coal black hair, which my daughter claims caused pretty of heartburn. She too was born with a head full of hair.

 
It didn’t take Xavier long to make up for his weight deficit. He ate around the clock causing sleep deprivation for everyone in the household. He ended up being nicknamed Gran’s “Lil Butterball”. His legs had rolls of fat, nice little drumsticks for Gran to kiss on. I look at him and some days I see his mom. Other days I see his dad.
 
My beautiful daughter is pictured in the center photo at the top. She’s holding Xavier after he dived into the cake at his first birthday party. She’s the love of my life and she will always will be, but Xavier holds a special place. It’s a place that only a grandchild is allowed to enter into. There is nothing that I would not do for him. He brings so much joy into my life. I’ve heard other people talk about how great it is to be a grandparent, it’s so true. Although I want him to be raised properly, I know that I would allow him to get away with much more than I allowed my daughter to get away with. I have to restrain myself when she’s disciplining him. I just want to scoop him up and protect him from what I perceive to be harm. That includes Mean Ole Mommy and Daddy. Can you keep a secret? I purchased the set below for Xavier, it contains our secret code for Ole Mommy and Daddy. That’s right “Monster”. Remember it’s a secret. Can I trust you? Seriously, they are wonderful parents and would never bring harm to this little gem.


The past 2 years have been so wonderful and they’ve gone by so fast. We’re planning Xavier’s party for September 26th. Elmo and Xavier will be the stars. He adores Elmo and watches Sesame Street faithfully. Gran gets a reprieve this year, The Jumping Monkey will be the host. I believe the Jumping Money is popular in the southern states. I had never heard of it, and goggled it when my daughter announced the location. At first I was disappointed that we would not be doing the preparations, but now I’m looking forward to just purchasing a few gifts and enjoying Xavier and his guests. It will give me the opportunity to take lots of pictures for my next scrapbook.

The Jumping Monkey will furnish the cupcakes, plates, cups, etc. as well as the party favor bags, invitations, juice boxes and popcorn. They have games, ride on toys and bounce and ball pits for the kids. We’ll have pizza delivered and everyone should have a grand time. I know that I will.

I need to work on my skills so that I can video a few of the events. I tried videoing last week with my digital camera, OMG. I need serious help. Any suggestions from the video/vlog professionals? Please leave a few of your video tips.

I’m looking forward to my grandson’s 2nd birthday party. Stayed tuned for pictures of a few of my gifts and the party. How did you celebrate your child’s 2nd birthday? Fell free to share any of your memories.

Can Doodling Sharpen Your Child’s Memory?

Did you know that doodling can be a benefit? I doodle when I’m sitting in meetings/conferences. It helps me to stay alert. There are benefits for children too according to the Journal of Applied Cognitive Psychology. The journal states that “doodling” may help
improve memory recall. Lord knows I need help with my memory at this stage of life. I don’t trust it anymore, I have to write everything down. On a bad day, I need help finding whatever list or information that I’ve written down. So pathetic I know. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen.

As a result of a study performed by Jackie Andrade, a psychology professor at the University of Plymouth in England, parents are being encouraged to promote creative doodling at home with their children by incorporating art activities into their life. Jackie is saying rather than give your child a coloring book, give them a doodle pad as well so they can doodle. I don’t consider myself to be an artist, but I do enjoy scrapbooking and creating crafts for my home. I think I can really get into some form of art with my 2 year old grandson. I tested him to see how he would do using a regular pen and pencil, he made a few scribbles. I’m going to purchase the larger crayons and pencils for him, and make it a regular activity.

Jackie’s study found that doodling can be used to help retain information. She performed a study where individuals listened to a recorded message which included pieces of information such as names and places. She found that individuals who doodled while listening, remembered 29 percent more than those who did not. I’m going to put this theory to the test. I’m going to try to teach Xavier the primary colors by using crayons and doodles.

Teachers are being discouraged from stopping students from doodling in class. In the past it was seen as a sign that the child was distracted. Now it’s seen as a sign that the brain is active and they are listening.

I’ve been checking out the Aquadoodle Travel ‘N’ Doodle Mat and I think it may be perfect for him. I’m looking for small birthday gifts for him, I’m going to add it to my birthday gift list. It’s getting good reviews by other moms, stayed tuned for my review.

Winter is heading our way, and we will be looking for indoor activities for the kids. We will be compiling a list of art/craft activities for children. We would love to have contributions from our readers too. Please leave us a comment with an activity or craft that you have done with your child. We will add it to our list and include a link to your blog.

Mama’s Growing A Pumpkin Patch, Unexpectedly

I’ve been trying to figure out what type of plant mysteriously appeared in my front yard for weeks. When I saw this plant initially, I thought it was a weed and decided I would tear it out when I weeded the next time around and kill the roots with Round Up. Since weeding wasn’t at the top of my list, it has continued to spread across the yard and it’s now heading toward the drive way.

Last week, I noticed orange blooms on the plant and decided to walk over and check it out. Much to my surprise, it’s bearing miniature pumpkins. WTH?

I display my mums and pumpkins in this area in the fall and I guess one of the pumpkins that burst because I left them out too long must have germinated. I won’t be tearing it down after all, my Xavier will have his own pumpkin patch in Gran’s yard this fall.

When I purchased the lot the farmer who lived next to me said that I would be able to grow anything, my lot used to be his pig pen. Everything grows double its size if I don’t keep my shrubs cut back. In the meantime, I guess I better do some research on how I need to handle this baby. I’ve been told that a pumpkin plant can grow as much as 6 inches a day and grow up to 30 feet. I’m looking forward to seeing my unexpected pumpkin patch this fall. Stay tuned.

My Little Picasso – Crayola Paint Review

Look at my little Picasso, he’s creating a master piece. I decided to introduce Xavier to finger paints. He had a ball. I purchased the No Mess Crayola Finger Paint set and I loved it as much as he did. The paint showed up only on the paper. I did put an old sheet under him, I just had hardwood floors installed and I didn’t want to take any chances, but there was truly no mess.

The set comes with an adorable tray in the shape of a hand with 5 paint colors, red, yellow, green, blue, orange, and 12 double wide sheets of the Wonder paper. I like he fact that the hand is sturdy and stays in place on the table. The lids covering the paint are easy to open; however, for a 2 year old they will need assistance.
Xavier enjoyed sticking his fingers into the paint and was amazed when the colors magically appeared on the paper. He was so funny using the sponge. I tried to get him to wipe his fingers with it, but he wasn’t interested. I decided to show him how to sponge paint. He’s only 2, I didn’t think it would hold his interest. Wrong. He’s quite astute, and caught on quickly as to how he should dip the sponge into the paints and than apply it to the paper.

Here’s my Little Picasso taking a break. Painting makes baby thirsty. This set is recommended for 3+, but Xavier didn’t have a problem using the set. I like to challenge him with toys (as long as they don’t contain small parts), books etc. that are recommended for children a year or 2 older than he is. I believe it helps with a child’s advancement.

I would highly recommend this set to any parent who is looking for a rainy day activity or who just wants to expose their child’s creativity on paper. They have the Gel Paint refills, which includes the classic colors shown and additional tropical colors. Purchasing the set will be money well spent.

I Screwed Up My Life

Nadya Suleman

“I screwed myself. I screwed up my life, I screwed up my kids’ lives. What the heck am I going to do?” The words of Nadia Suleman, it looks like the idiot is having a reality check. Hello girlfriend you couldn’t handle 6, what did you think would happen with 8 more. I’m sure she spends her waking hours thinking about it, but she will find not an ounce of sympathy here. I believe her motives were purely selfish, and she as well as taxpayers will pay for the rest of those poor children’s lives.
Fox will air a show on August 19 on Nadia Suleman and her 14 children. Take a look at this video clip, 14 screaming, crying children. She states the older children are negative, what’s positive in this situation for an adult let alone a child. In my opinion, you can not possibly give yourself whole-heartily to 14 children. Physically, emotionally or physiologically. America will be getting a first hand look at someone who thinks in the moment.

She also states that the older children are curious about their father. Now how do you explain to a child that their father was literally a sperm donor. You came from a frozen egg, honey. That’s like saying The Stork dropped you off. Apparently the father is married and has no intentions of being in the children’s life as a father or role model. Chances are there will never be a father figure or role model in their lives. What man is going to take on the responsibility of 14 children who are not his and being followed around by a camera for the rest of his life?

Normally, I don’t concern myself with others and how they live their life. However, this woman just rubs me the wrong way. I could slap that bitch each time I look at her. I need to take a deep breath, I feel the anger rising. I still think about her website seeking donations. WTH? Now you want people to help pay for your poor judgment.

I’ve debated as to whether or not I will watch this program. I still haven’t made up my mind. There’s a part of me that wants to see those adorable babies who did not ask to be brought into this world, certainly under the conditions that we’ve seen. There’s another part that is angry that a woman could be so stupid, and I don’t want to support her in any way. I want to knock this woman in the head, but I guess it too late for that. I wonder how she is going to keep what little sanity she has trying to raise 14 children. She’s already stating that she resents herself, when she will start resenting the children. Do you see that coming?

I hope something positive comes out of this insane situation, and these children will be blessed in some way. I’m sure in the end they will thank their mother for being a human incubator and bringing them into this world.

Feel free to leave your comments/opinions on Nadia Suleman and her 14 children.