And Then I Stepped in Gum . . .

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Story of My Life

Katie has discovered a new website to play on: Claires.com. You can apparently select a figure and dress it and accessorize it and make it dance or something. So she was playing with it today while I frantically try to finish a book early so I can go play hooky with my friend Lani on Friday in the city.

Katie, entering the office: Mommy, what are you wearing today?
Me: A green T-shirt and dark gray sweatpants. Why?
Katie: Oh, I can't find those on Claires.com. I was trying to make one that looked like you.
Dave, smirking: No, for that you'd have to go to Slobs.com.

No respect, I tell you.

The same site inspired a minor tiff between Katie and Ian. After styling a figure like her teacher (who is young, pretty, and stylish, and thus more reproducible than I), Katie offered to make one like Ian's teacher. Miss Linda is African American. Your first choice, apparently, is skin tone. After the third repetition of "But does she have black skin?" and the corresponding anguished "Noooooo," I stepped in to settle everything by explaining that she has dark brown skin ("That's right," agreed Ian). The racial unconsciousness of preschoolers rearing its innocent head.

And spinning off of that, Ian recently pointed to a picture in a knitting book of a little Asian girl wearing a poncho. "She looks like Jada, in my class." "Yes, she does. They looks similar because they're both Chinese, or Chinese American." "No, she's not. Jada's not Chinese!" (This shouted across Barnes & Noble.) I gave up the argument, even though I know that Jada is, in fact, Chinese American; it seemed the better part of valor.

Interesting how kids give us things to think about, isn't it?