Vanity
Now that I finally have my own computer, I am (slowly) learning how to do things on it. My newest accomplishment is transferring my pix from the awesome digital camera Dave got me for my B-Day onto the computer. And it was at this moment, as I was going through these pictures that I came across this one
<---------------- And I realized that Malina does look a little bit like me; she certainly has my eyes and (although you can't see them in this picture) she definitely has my ears! Ella does too. Most parents, I would say, believe that from the first time their child comes out of the womb; even covered with blood and junk, that their little baby is perfect. Ten toes, ten fingers, two eyes, one nose, one mouth, and two ears all perfectly formed to create the most beautiful, amazing little creature you have ever seen. As a parent of two beautiful girls, I can definitely say I agree with that; there is nothing I would change about my girls! And yet, as I am thinking this, looking at this picture, I realize how much I really dislike my own ears. I had thought about plastic surgery to alter them; my left ear sticks out a little more than my right ear. I didn't think it was too big a deal, something I just wanted to do for my own satisfaction. My cousin Sean had his largely protruding ears pinned back and I thought they looked wonderful.

But what if I did get plastic surgery on my ears? It is pretty obvious Malina & Ella have my ears and as they get older they might want to know why I would change them. Should I tell my 'beautiful, absolutely perfect' daughters that I thought my ears were funny looking?
What would that be saying about them and their ears? I wouldn't want them to get plastic surgery to change the way they looked; they don't need it. So how can I believe that my ears are only beautiful and perfect on someone else?

It's amazing how vanity and self- consciousness has crept in without me realizing it. It seems that my daughter's are teaching me more than I am teaching them!

Let me dive into the shallow pool now (I was getting kinda deep there) and announce that Malina has officially said her first spanish word. I have been speaking fluent Spanglish to her since she was born and she comprehends alot in English and Spanish. If I ask her where her shoes are in Spanish, she understands and will bring me her shoes but, when she hands them to me she insistantly says "shuuss'. And so on with the other English words she knows. Not that there are many. So far she says: "shuss" = shoes

"cuppa" = cup

"mom" = mom

"dada" = dad

"knah" = Nuk

"umma" = grandma

"sisssy" = sister

"sisissy" = Chrissy (Dave's niece)

But today I was taking Dave's mom to Blockbuster and we were getting in the car and I was trying to cajole Malina into the car by saying "come on Malina, do you want to sit by Chrissy?" . And very excitedly she replied, "si ! si!" I was absolutely thrilled! I was starting to think that my expert Spanglish lessons were going in one (beautiful) ear and out the other (beautiful ear!)