Flat Stanley Visits!

This is a special post for Skylar Kil, her teacher Andrew and her First Grade Class at the Bertschi School in Seattle!

Flat Stanley has been on the scene with us for nearly two weeks. He's had quite an adventure here in Sunnyvale, CA. For those readers not familiar with Stanley Lambchop's story, he was flattened by a bulletin board as he slept in his bed. * Being flat and all, he fits perfectly in an envelope to travel to different places. Thus he arrived at our home on Monday, April 5th in a white envelope from our friend Skylar Kil in Seattle.

* A side note for those of you who do not live in earthquake zones, it is not a good idea to hang anything over your bed just in case it falls down and causes flattening. Here in California where earthquakes are common, we don't hang anything over beds.

Our family has been sharing our special and everyday adventures with Flat Stanley. Mia, David, Kona (our small dog), Papa and I are having loads of fun with him. He has been the most polite and considerate guest. Flat Stanley doesn't forget to say, "Thank you", "Please" and "Excuse Me". He has also done his share of the chores around the house like picking up and cleaning up after he plays. I am especially glad that he takes dishes to the sink. We are quite impressed by his manners. Skylar and friends, you have taught Flat Stanley well!

Flat Stanley has gone to the Children's Discovery Museum, school with Mia, Ken's new office/lab, the eye doctor, Gilroy Gardens, dance camp, lemon picking, and he's spent time playing at home too. He misses you Skylar, but wants you to know that he's looking forward to seeing you again.

Flat Stanley and Mia in front of her cubby at school.


Flat Stanley and Mia playing. Flat Stanley was a good sport and let Mia dress him up in Hawaiian clothing.


Flat Stanley is thanking his lucky stars that he isn't made out of paper! Little David, just does not know his strength sometimes.

Race and Kids

Mia now thinks Sikh men are taxi drivers because the last couple of times we've been in cabs to and from San Jose Airport, we've been driven by Sikhs. In our townhome community, there is a nanny who gets picked up in the late afternoon/early evening by her husband or male relative who happens to be Sikh. When Mia sees him drive up while we are out she is convinced that the taxi is here to drive someone to the airport. When I tell her that I don't see a taxi, she says, "But he's wearing the taxi driver, hat". So wrong this racial/cultural profiling. I am trying to set her straight.

Papa was telling Mia that her hair was getting so nice and long. He told her how beautiful her hair is getting. Remember at one time, she had very little. Anyway, to this Mia responded, "But it's not like Princess Aurora's". Depressing isn't it? I have not gone out of my way to avoid Disney, if she gets something Disney, it is what it is, but I don't go out and buy her the stuff. She's actually never seen Sleeping Beauty. This story illustrates how insidious the messages are that little girls of color are getting. No one taught her that blond was more beautiful. Just like no one taught her anything about taxi drivers. And Mia has always been fascinated by Caucasian friends and especially friends with blond and/or curly hair. Where did that come from?