Archive for May, 2010

A sneak peek at our 4th of July tees and onsies…

For love of country they accepted death…
- James A. Garfield

Important News!!
Eli’s Lids is switching from blogger to wordpress.
What does that mean for you??
For the next couple of weeks I’ll be posting here and at our new Eli’s Lids blog… then ONLY at the other blog.
If you subscribe to the RSS feed or follow the blog be sure to follow the new blog ASAP!
The new blog is a work in progress so if you have any suggestions or notice something that isn’t working PLEASE let me know and my IT guy (Hot Hubby) will fix it.

A sneak peek at our 4th of July tees and onsies…

(Pardon our dust while we redo our site!)

For love of country they accepted death…

- James A. Garfield

I read a couple of books a month. 
One with my awesome-going-strong-for-3-years friends’ book club and usually one for fun.
We don’t have TV (hence the 3 kiddos in 4 years) and I’m an insomniac! When I can’t sleep I read till my eyes roll.
Now I’m adding the SV Moms Book Club to my list of reads. My first read with them is I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced.

If you are wondering what this book is about – look no further than the title…
Nujood, one of 16 children from Yemen, is married off by her father at age 9 to a man in his 30s. (UG!!!) She is also the first child bride in Yemen to be granted a divorce! (Yay!) If you’re thinking this tale took place in the 50′s, think again! Nujood was divorced in 2008 and was named a Glamour Woman of the Year the same year.
The story follows her through her “happy” childhood in the country, moving to the city where her father can’t hold a job and her siblings are forced to sell gum to tourists, her marriage & divorce, and ends up with her moving back in with her family.
(Nujood with her lawyer Shada Nassar on the night of the Glamour awards)
Instead of recapping the whole story. I’m just going to share my thoughts. Then you read the book and come back here and we can discuss!
My thoughts…
I’m a lover of happy endings. Honestly, I wanted the story to end with a modern Yemen family whisking Nujood away so she could be away from her khat addicted father and brainwashed dysfunctional family. Nujood is so brave for seeking out a divorce but I think her choosing to live with her family again shows that she is still under the thumb of her father and brothers. She wants to continue school and become a lawyer to help other child brides but without the support of her family I believe she will never accomplish that goal. i.e. the epilogue states that she has already dropped out of her school.
Is anyone else VERY disturbed by the tribal proverb in Yemen? “To guarantee a happy marriage, marry a nine-year-old.”
Should you read the book…?
Yes! It’s a quick read (I read it during nap time), the story is inspiring and will spark great conversations with your book club! 
Note: I’m very sensitive when it comes to child abuse (what mom isn’t?) and I was worried Nujood’s treatment by her husband would be too graphic. It wasn’t. Though you know what happens and your heart just breaks. 

Is Yemen the only place 9-year-olds are on display?
Nope, you don’t have to look much farther than Orange County…

Read my post over at the Orange County Moms Blog!
Welcome to the strip club

I read a couple of books a month. 
One with my awesome-going-strong-for-3-years friends’ book club and usually one for fun.
We don’t have TV (hence the 3 kiddos in 4 years) and I’m an insomniac! When I can’t sleep I read till my eyes roll.
Now I’m adding the SV Moms Book Club to my list of reads. My first read with them is I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced.

If you are wondering what this book is about – look no further than the title…
Nujood, one of 16 children from Yemen, is married off by her father at age 9 to a man in his 30s. (UG!!!) She is also the first child bride in Yemen to be granted a divorce! (Yay!) If you’re thinking this tale took place in the 50′s, think again! Nujood was divorced in 2008 and was named a Glamour Woman of the Year the same year.
The story follows her through her “happy” childhood in the country, moving to the city where her father can’t hold a job and her siblings are forced to sell gum to tourists, her marriage & divorce, and ends up with her moving back in with her family.

Instead of recapping the whole story. I’m just going to share my thoughts. Then you read the book and come back here and we can discuss!
My thoughts…
I’m a lover of happy endings. Honestly, I wanted the story to end with a modern Yemen family whisking Nujood away so she could be away from her khat addicted father and brainwashed dysfunctional family. Nujood is so brave for seeking out a divorce but I think her choosing to live with her family again shows that she is still under the thumb of her father and brothers. She wants to continue school and become a lawyer to help other child brides but without the support of her family I believe she will never accomplish that goal. i.e. the epilogue states that she has already dropped out of her school.
Is anyone else VERY disturbed by the tribal proverb in Yemen?

“To guarantee a happy marriage, marry a nine-year-old.”

 
Should you read the book…?
Yes! It’s a quick read (I read it during nap time), the story is inspiring and will spark great conversations with your book club! 
Note: I’m very sensitive when it comes to child abuse (what mom isn’t?) and I was worried Nujood’s treatment by her husband would be too graphic. It wasn’t. Though you know what happens and your heart just breaks. 

Is Yemen the only place 9-year-olds are on display?
Nope, you don’t have to look much farther than Orange County…

Read my post over at the Orange County Moms Blog!
Welcome to the strip club

If you bake a cake, you should have a party.
For anyone.
Even pirates have birthdays… right?

Go all out!
Invite the whole neighborhood… I’ve heard they don’t eat much!

A real candle to make it official…

Pirates are pretty rude so he might not send hand written Thank You notes.
But a verbal “thank you” should suffice!

Check out more Wordless Wednesdays at Angry Julie Monday and here.