Vagina vs. Toodie: When Do I Update My Daughter's Vocabulary?

Vagina.

That’s right -- Vagina. I receive weekly email updates about timely news information. For instance, the past few weeks have detailed the events surrounding the 10-year anniversary of Sept. 11. But last week I was a bit shocked to find the headline: "THE WORD ON EVERYBODY'S LIPS IS 'VAGINA.’"

It’s not that I was offended -- very little offends me. I just found it odd this was ‘timely news information.’

(Book Review) Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein

I took my time with this book, reading a chapter at a time and really soaking it in. With a 4-year-old daughter I felt I owed her -- and myself -- the time. Time to turn the info over and over in my head.

Now I've Gone & Said "Ifs, Ands, or Buts." Who Am I?

We took our 4-year-old daughter to watch our city's local fireworks Monday night. It was her first time to see fireworks and I was almost as excited as she was about sharing such a special moment. I loved fireworks as a child; heck, I still do.

So we arrive at our viewing point, the local community college. We find a spot on the concrete stairs. We'd have preferred the grass but earlier it'd rained just enough. Another family with a little boy was seated a few steps above, and he and Shannon struck up a conversation almost immediately. Within minutes they bonded over their overprotective parents, both of whom kept telling them to stop swinging on the railing. This kept her entertained since we'd arrived about 20 minutes early, which was all well and good. Until I told her she needed to come sit with us since the fireworks were about to start.

To which she replied with an emphatic stomp and a stubborn, "No, Mom. I wanna sit with my friend."