Sunday, November 16, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Max and friend
Max has had the chance to hang out with some of the boys from the neighborhood this fall, and we think he enjoys the change of pace from having primarily little girls around!
Our own little Tink
The theme for Grace's birthday party will shock no one. However, when we were a little late getting the cake, we had to opt for something that had a bit of a hulkish influence. Hey, there were boys at the party, too!
Halloween at school
We had a pig, a Mythbuster and a vet in the family this year. And is that a well-known wizard prowling the halls?
You call this raking?
Our children, and some neighbor kids, decided to "help" Stacey rake up some of the never-ending supply of fall leaves in our front yard this year. Quite helpful, don't you think?
Halloween at the zoo!
Our little ones got dressed up in their Halloween costumes for a trip to "Boo at the Zoo." Turns out they were there one day early, so they were the only kids dressed up. But they still had a great time.
The Kratzes came to visit
When Grandpa and Grandma and Aunt Lisa came to visit, the kids were spoiled just a bit. OK, they were spoiled a lot!
Best laughing friends
Kate and Grace often refer to each other as "best laughing friends." In these photos, I think you can see why.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Politicklish
A non-photographic post featuring a few of Stac's thoughts over the past few tumultuous days:
THE BLACK KNIGHT
I don't think I realized what Barack Obama's election meant to black Americans (indeed, to black people all over the world) until I saw the black people in the crowd at his acceptance speech, overwhelmed by the moment. And though I didn't vote for him and continue to vehemently disagree with him on many issues, I couldn't help but feel goosebumps watching him walk out onto that big stage with his wife and daughters. This, at least, has changed: everyone must recognize that we are now a country where you can become anything without regard to race. That excuse has gone, because people across the board racially, economically, and in most other measures supported a black candidate in large numbers.
We were watching all that with our kids and trying to explain what was happening, and my 8-year-old daughter said, "What's black?" Now, I realize this is partially a function of living in Utah, where black people are significantly more scarce than in other areas. But my kids go to school and church with lots and lots of "brown" people (as some of them have identified themselves to me): kids of Latino, Polynesian and Asian descent. Emma's best friend is half Korean. One of Kate's best friends is half Japanese, and all of the kids regularly play with a multi-racial group of friends. As we tried to explain "black" to the kids, we said things like, "Black people have ancestors who came from Africa. Because of that, their skin is darker than our skin." And they were looking at us like, "So?"
That's when we realized how stupid is the whole race thing in the present day. All this anguish we go through over it, all this division among us. To our kids the whole thing is like, "So?" It's something barely even worth noting, particularly in terms of how they see and make judgments about people. It reinforced for me that we are moving into a post-racial era, one where my own kids see people as people first, and not as members of a particular racial group. It's not just that we've taught them that way; it's simply how things are. Or, at least, how they are becoming.
Now, this is not to say that the cultural traditions of different groups are invalid, or that we're suddenly somehow members of one big family (except, of course, in the sense that we're all God's children). Black cultural traditions are different from, say, the cultural traditions of my own fish belly-white, English/Scottish/Irish ancestry. Some of those cultural norms and traditions are good ones, some of them are destructive. Some of them are worthy of celebrating; some continue to divide us. But we can say this: race doesn't have to matter any more in our relationships. It doesn't have to matter any more in terms of those to whom we give our trust. It doesn't have to matter any more in terms of those we vote for, and enjoy, and love.
8 HATERS
I find the sound and fury surrounding the LDS Church in the aftermath of California's Prop. 8 vote offensive and calculatedly cynical. I am being portrayed as a gay-hatin', rights-takin', love-killin' bigot for agreeing with the moral issues surrounding this vote. My church is being portrayed as full of hate, rather than as taking a stand on a moral issue that it has espoused with perfect consistency throughout its history. As a believing, practicing Mormon who knows and loves several gay people, it's hard for me to understand this fury at my personal morality — a morality that harms no one and is, indeed, based on my understanding of Jesus Christ. Read the LDS Church's writings and published statements on this matter. You will find nowhere the hate on which gay marriage supporters so rabidly insist.
But, on the other hand, I have never seen a single supporter of gay marriage affirm that it is my right, and indeed the right of every citizen of this country, to affirm my own morality and to vote in a way that I believe protects the best interests of families and of this nation as a whole. Say it that way, and it might just be that we disagree and can continue to disagree with civility and mutual respect. Better to label it HATE and BIGOTRY; then it's easier to run lying television commercials and practice a different, but very real hate and bigotry, toward religious people and other Prop. 8 supporters and label it "crusading for our rights."
I also find it interesting that the fury and protests resulting from this vote are directed primarily, if not exclusively, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Why aren't these protesters targeting the offices of the NAACP, considering that black people in majority percentages supported Prop. 8? Why aren't hundreds of people turning up to wave signs at the offices of Catholic dioceses across California? Why aren't they going block to block, screaming in the faces of the more than half of their fellow citizens who supported this initiative? I suspect it's because they have identified the LDS Church as the easiest to stereotype, disparage, lie about and hate among the many groups who supported the proposition. If they picketed the NAACP, they might be seen as racists. And lots of their fellow Californians are Catholic or have Catholic roots. But making fun of and deriding Mormons is practically a sport at the cultural level in this country, so they have little to lose and lots of "victimhood" points to gain.
AN HONORABLE GENTLEMAN
And, finally, I think John McCain's concession speech was the classiest and most statesmanlike political oratory I've heard for years. I have always respected him. I have liked his style and his willingness to stand up for what he thinks is right, regardless of which party is involved. I have been a supporter of his from the early days of the Republican nomination process, I watched in frustration as his campaign never became all it could have been, and I was sorry to see him lose this election. But I was so happy to see him go out with a speech that showed the best of what he is, and that reminded me of why I've always liked him. He is a good man and a great American.
THE BLACK KNIGHT
I don't think I realized what Barack Obama's election meant to black Americans (indeed, to black people all over the world) until I saw the black people in the crowd at his acceptance speech, overwhelmed by the moment. And though I didn't vote for him and continue to vehemently disagree with him on many issues, I couldn't help but feel goosebumps watching him walk out onto that big stage with his wife and daughters. This, at least, has changed: everyone must recognize that we are now a country where you can become anything without regard to race. That excuse has gone, because people across the board racially, economically, and in most other measures supported a black candidate in large numbers.
We were watching all that with our kids and trying to explain what was happening, and my 8-year-old daughter said, "What's black?" Now, I realize this is partially a function of living in Utah, where black people are significantly more scarce than in other areas. But my kids go to school and church with lots and lots of "brown" people (as some of them have identified themselves to me): kids of Latino, Polynesian and Asian descent. Emma's best friend is half Korean. One of Kate's best friends is half Japanese, and all of the kids regularly play with a multi-racial group of friends. As we tried to explain "black" to the kids, we said things like, "Black people have ancestors who came from Africa. Because of that, their skin is darker than our skin." And they were looking at us like, "So?"
That's when we realized how stupid is the whole race thing in the present day. All this anguish we go through over it, all this division among us. To our kids the whole thing is like, "So?" It's something barely even worth noting, particularly in terms of how they see and make judgments about people. It reinforced for me that we are moving into a post-racial era, one where my own kids see people as people first, and not as members of a particular racial group. It's not just that we've taught them that way; it's simply how things are. Or, at least, how they are becoming.
Now, this is not to say that the cultural traditions of different groups are invalid, or that we're suddenly somehow members of one big family (except, of course, in the sense that we're all God's children). Black cultural traditions are different from, say, the cultural traditions of my own fish belly-white, English/Scottish/Irish ancestry. Some of those cultural norms and traditions are good ones, some of them are destructive. Some of them are worthy of celebrating; some continue to divide us. But we can say this: race doesn't have to matter any more in our relationships. It doesn't have to matter any more in terms of those to whom we give our trust. It doesn't have to matter any more in terms of those we vote for, and enjoy, and love.
8 HATERS
I find the sound and fury surrounding the LDS Church in the aftermath of California's Prop. 8 vote offensive and calculatedly cynical. I am being portrayed as a gay-hatin', rights-takin', love-killin' bigot for agreeing with the moral issues surrounding this vote. My church is being portrayed as full of hate, rather than as taking a stand on a moral issue that it has espoused with perfect consistency throughout its history. As a believing, practicing Mormon who knows and loves several gay people, it's hard for me to understand this fury at my personal morality — a morality that harms no one and is, indeed, based on my understanding of Jesus Christ. Read the LDS Church's writings and published statements on this matter. You will find nowhere the hate on which gay marriage supporters so rabidly insist.
But, on the other hand, I have never seen a single supporter of gay marriage affirm that it is my right, and indeed the right of every citizen of this country, to affirm my own morality and to vote in a way that I believe protects the best interests of families and of this nation as a whole. Say it that way, and it might just be that we disagree and can continue to disagree with civility and mutual respect. Better to label it HATE and BIGOTRY; then it's easier to run lying television commercials and practice a different, but very real hate and bigotry, toward religious people and other Prop. 8 supporters and label it "crusading for our rights."
I also find it interesting that the fury and protests resulting from this vote are directed primarily, if not exclusively, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Why aren't these protesters targeting the offices of the NAACP, considering that black people in majority percentages supported Prop. 8? Why aren't hundreds of people turning up to wave signs at the offices of Catholic dioceses across California? Why aren't they going block to block, screaming in the faces of the more than half of their fellow citizens who supported this initiative? I suspect it's because they have identified the LDS Church as the easiest to stereotype, disparage, lie about and hate among the many groups who supported the proposition. If they picketed the NAACP, they might be seen as racists. And lots of their fellow Californians are Catholic or have Catholic roots. But making fun of and deriding Mormons is practically a sport at the cultural level in this country, so they have little to lose and lots of "victimhood" points to gain.
AN HONORABLE GENTLEMAN
And, finally, I think John McCain's concession speech was the classiest and most statesmanlike political oratory I've heard for years. I have always respected him. I have liked his style and his willingness to stand up for what he thinks is right, regardless of which party is involved. I have been a supporter of his from the early days of the Republican nomination process, I watched in frustration as his campaign never became all it could have been, and I was sorry to see him lose this election. But I was so happy to see him go out with a speech that showed the best of what he is, and that reminded me of why I've always liked him. He is a good man and a great American.
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