Mila Monday: Summer (slightly political) GBOMB

I don’t think I’ve ever used the GBOMB format before but it feels right today. So here we go: the Good, the Bad, and the big thing On My Brain.

GOOD:

We spent last weekend at my parents’ house with all my siblings and their spouses and kids. It’s the first time we’ve all been in the same place since my brother got married two years ago. Bonus: my dad’s parents flew in from California! Such a great surprise!

Things can get hectic when there are 20+ people around, but it was 100% worth the technicolor vomit on the drive up to be with my people. (FYI Sonic slushies + carsick kids = not great for your car’s upholstery.) I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Our summer is humming along nicely so far. Between trips to the water park, science class once a week, library visits, play dates, and ice cream, we’re staying busy. Much of the credit for that goes to The Lazy Genius podcast and my giant homemade summer calendar. Everyone knows what’s going on. Our expectations are small but the possibilities are big, and that is making all the difference.

That and the fact that I hired a daytime babysitter once or twice a week. Best $7.50 an hour I’ve ever spent.

My birthday is this week!

I’m really excited, and not just because David is taking me on a tiny weekend surprise-destination no-kids getaway…although that definitely helps. I guess I feel like I’m finally aging into myself.

35 is gonna be a good year, I can tell.

BAD:

This website was out of commission for TEN WHOLE DAYS. I tried to do a thing, and the things I tried broke everything. When I tried to get in touch with my web host, they didn’t respond. I was completely freaking out and trying really hard not to. It’s just a website, after all. But it’s special to me and I would’ve been devastated to lose it.

I finally had to yell at them on Facebook to get someone to respond to me. The problem took 3 minutes to fix, which I’m still a little angry about. Grateful to be back online, and grateful at the timing since I had already gone semi-dark for a while anyway, but so upset that nobody helped me until I threatened to publicly shame them.

All of which to say I’m probably looking for a new home for the blog. Ugh.

Ryan is super defiant and mischievous lately. I’m not surprised: two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half has consistently been the most challenging age for our kids. But dang it, I am frustrated all the time. He refuses to help, does the opposite of what I ask him to do, hits and body slams his sisters, and yesterday he dumped chocolate milk on my new rug right before church. It was an accident, but still.

He’s driving me bonkers. Thank goodness he’s cute and funny as heck.

ON MY BRAIN:

Children being separated from their parents at the US border. I cannot stop thinking about it. I’ve never been a fan of our current administration, but using vulnerable children as political pawns? That’s despicable, even for them.

Margot gets upset if I walk out the door before she’s finished putting her shoes on. I can’t imagine her anguish if she was taken from me forcibly. Every time I look at my kids—my wild, stubborn, drive-me-crazy, beautiful, tender, innocent children—I break down.

What baffles me further is how people are supporting this policy. “But their parents are breaking the law! They shouldn’t have come here if they didn’t want to face the consequences.” Here’s the thing:

1) Not every immigrant is breaking a law. Many are presenting themselves at the border legally seeking asylum.

2) Not all laws are morally right. Black people were legally enslaved. Women and people of color were denied the right to vote. Laws can change, and when the laws uphold a moral wrong, they NEED to change. Separating children from their parents DOES NOT have to be a consequence of attempted immigration of any kind.

3) People wouldn’t come here if the risk of staying in their home countries wasn’t so great. It’s flee or die, and they chose, as I imagine most of us would, to flee to save their children’s lives. When did we decide we would no longer provide refuge to those in need?

If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll call your members of Congress and ask them to support the Keeping Families Together Act. Babies shouldn’t be incarcerated and traumatized because their parents were trying to find a safe place for them to live.

You can find out how to get in touch with your senators and reps HERE.