You can find me at http://blessedfamilyblog.blogspot.com

We have adopted two little girls from Ethiopia and are in the process to adopt two more.

Started my nineteenth year of home schooling this year!

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Yesterday afternoon we went bowling! We picked up Joe's friend on the way. I had five boys ages 6-13 with me. We paid for three games and we were so glad when the end of the third game was near! We were there for about two and half hours or slightly longer. The boys loved playing and it got them exercising without realizing they were exercising!

My boys are in a bowling league on Monday afternoons. They play in three man teams so Joe & James play on a team with another boy older than them, and John and Joel play on a team with a little boy that is right between their ages. They also get tokens for the Boardwalk which is an attached building that sports video games and rides. After their ten week league ends they get a pizza party. They also get a free game of bowling everyday which is one reason we went yesterday. We did spend some $$ though to play three games, shoe rentals, nachos, drinks, etc.....

We were all tired last night, but the boys didn't realize it was because of the bowling. I'm sore today around the middle and I slept well too! With ten frames a game, and unless you bowl a strike you're bowling two times a frame, so it comes out to about sixty times each bending your body and aiming for those pins. I have decided it's great eye-hand coordination too! I've been trying to teach them to look at the pin way down there and focus on that when they bowl. It works!

Now my six-year old has his own style of bowling. He uses the two hand method, where you take this giant ball and kind of throw it like an underhanded shot-put. It works! Many times he doesn't even hit the bumper, but seems to be able to keep the ball in the middle of the lane.

Well I better go, my boys are wrestling each other instead of wrestling their minds at school.

Yesterday afternoon Steve came home with a plastic bag that contained two books. My sil had sent two books from her deceased mother's bookcase. The bookcases were emptied and are now sitting in my garage since they know I love books. Anyways, one book was Yankee Magazine's Church Suppers & Potluck Dinners CookBook and the other was a paperback NIV Bible.

My eight year old happened to be standing near me when I opened the bag and wanted to know whose Bible that was. I told him it didn't belong to anyone that Aunt Joni has just given it to us. He asked if he could have and I told him he could. Last night he brings it to me and wants me to read it to him starting on the first page. So, we read the first few  chapters of Genesis and then stop for the evening. Today while I was knitting he brought it to me and told me to stop knitting, turn off the tv and read to him. (Yes, sir!) I did. We read Genesis 3,4 and part of 5. I'm told that we'll read the rest of Genesis 5, 6 and more tonight.

I love it! I'm convinced he's going to be the President of something someday. He's very personable and loves women of all ages. What a great foundation~The Word of God. I need to go and help him with his math. He's working on multiplication~that's not high on his enjoyment list.

Yesterday was Class Day. We had a great time with all the other home schoolers that come together twice a month for classes. The teacher sign-up sheets were out for the 2007-2008 school year. I swore I wasn't going to go, but they (the coordinators) just tempt me so. They tempt me with wonderful classes!! A Christian lawyer and his wife are teaching American Government and another godly man and his wife are teaching Economics. I think it would really benefit Jesse and Sarah to take these courses from these specific people.

 I was able to sign-up for nursery duty. If I have our babies home by then I'll be able to hunker down with them and visit with my friend Heide. Heide just had her seventh baby and is just a jewel. I will have a low key year with no teaching. The last three years I have taught Kindergarten, Art 1-3, and Science 1-3. I have enjoyed and been challenged with each class.

The first day I worked in the Kindergarten class I understood why teachers recommend little boys for ritalin or suggest they have ADD/ADHD. it was pure chaos and to get a grip on the situation something had to be done. I have seven boys. I acted as though I were at home and started shouting orders, corrections, and suggestions.  It worked! Those same boys are still in my classes to this day and I'm very fond of them.

I hear grumbling from my teens that they really don't want to go to classes, but I think they should in this instance. I figured out that if Sarah takes Algebra 1, US History, American Govt., and Economics she can graduate next year; then both Jesse and Sarah will graduate together. Jesse plans on going to either San Diego Christian College or Pt. Loma Nazarene University and pursuse a degree in music. Sarah might go to our local junior college and take their Culinary course. My oldest son took the course and it was a real benefit to him. He has taught me the proper way to cut different fruits, and offers to cut veggies anytime he's around since he can do it so fast.  He has even made our Thanksgiving and Christmas meals before. One Thanksgiivng I wasn't feeling well, and he was seventeen or eighteen; he made our whole meal. It was so good too!

Well, we have school to do, grades to turn in, work to check, and beds to make. I better get to it!

Vikki

Life goes on as usual here, nothing earth shattering or newsworthy. I wil try and pick my brain to fill you in on what's been going on though.

Saturday, April 14, we had a family work party. Steve and Jesse put together a new play system/jungle gym from Costco. Joe and I mowed our four acres. Sarah fed us and helped clear our bank of dead, burned ice plant. The other three boys had fun playing on the trampoline, new swingset and helping mom whenever she barked orders. I also learned how to use an electric drill!

We go every Wednesday night to watch Jesse (17) and Jacob (22) play indoor soccer together. All the guys on the team are guys that my oldest boys have grown up with. I get to sit in the stands and visit with Mariah! She is a young lady that is now twenty-three, teaches science to junior-highers, and grew up with my oldest two boys.

On Monday I dropped ten pounds of frozen chicken on one of my toes. You know the whole packaged chickens from Costco that come two to a package? I had some laundry in right hand and tried to pick up the chicken in my left hand. Didn't work. It flew straight down to my toe. My little boys thought I was going to have a baby because I was using that breathing that ladies use at that time. I was trying not to cry and get past the pain. My toe is now a dark maroon color between the first bone and the toenail. I've tried to take it easy and stay off my feet late in the afternoon and into the evening.

I was able to use my Easter ham bones yesterday. I made red beans & rice. I LOVE meals like that. Our friends make a bean/rice dish that is made in Brazil, but I can't make it like they can. I think I need a personalized cooking lesson!!

I finished reading Sexual Predators in the Church. The author recommends taking your children to the bathroom if they need to go during the service instead of just allowing them to go on their own. We usually have our boys go before the service, but sometimes mom/dad get caught up in a conversation with someone and can't break away for a reminder.

We're still waiting on a referral for our adoption. I'm almost done reading The Seed From the East. After watching John & Kate plus eight and reading this book I have a new appreciation for those parents who have so many little ones at one time. If you haven't seen John & Kate plus 8 it's a show on TLC about a family who has twins and then had sextuplets. The first show the sextuplets were one and the second show they were two. The parents do a wonderful job of keeping their family a priority.

Planning our last quarter of school. I like planners from www.donnayoung.org. Found out Sarah needs Algebra 1 before she can graduate. She wants to graduate a year early so we need to figure out exactly what she needs to complete next year to do that.  Algebra 1 didn't use to be a requirement and since 2003-2004 school year here in California it is a requirement. I have no idea what those people who are learning disabled will do. I know my second son would not have passed. He has a short term memory and the concepts would have escaped him.

Pretty boring stuff, I know.

We have been enjoying our Easter break this week. Although Joel has strep throat with an ear infection and I have something going on; we have been using this week to rest and not work. I did manage to clean some kitchen cupboards earlier in the week and throw out old food and things that take up space like pimientos (if I use them they just get picked out of the food), cream of wheat (which no one but me will eat), expired food and such. We had three good storage bags for the trash dumpster!

I'm making some photo booklets for our new children. We still don't know who they are yet, but I just had some pictures printed, and I found a file on the Yahoo Ethiopia Adopt forum of words for photo lableing in Amharic and English.  Our dossier is in Ethiopia now and we are just wating to find out who the Lord wants to bring into our family!

Yesterday at the doctors I had one those moments. A moment when you realize you're looking at somebody that you will be like. When I was pregnant with Sarah and in my last week, I had a sonogram. The tech thought it was 95% assured we were having a girl. All that week I walked around and stared at little girls thinking to myself, "I'm going to have one of those! That is a whole new realm of spending money."  After three boys I could buy barrettes, tights, cute shoes, headbands, rufflly panties, etc... So yesterday in the wating room at Kaiser a white lady came in with a very dark little girl, it was obvious the little girl was not of mixed race,  in a sling attached to her. Within a few minutes I mustered up the courage to ask her if the little one was adopted. She said, "Yes!" It was the first time since we've been in the adoption process that I have actually met someone in person who is a white lady with a black child. I know they exist all over the place and that I'll run into them more often since I'm on the "lookout" now. It was one of those "I'm going to look like that" moments.

Jesse, Sarah and Joe are all down in Ensenada, Mexico, this week building a house for a family. They'll also spend time with families that they've built for in past years and maybe even evangelizing. They come home Saturday afternoon/evening. I hear they're having a great time!

Well I better go and get on those pictures! Have a great day!

My husband is in a fantasy football league with other men from our church. His team is the Griese (pronounced greasy) Pigskins, and came in first place for the 2006 football season. As the winner he won a nice big trophy and bragging rights for the next year. There has been smack talkin' on both sides so we played this up this last weekend and took the trophy on a little journey.

We decide to go to breakfast at IHOP and the trophy gets the front seat.

Breakfast at IHOP-Notice the trophy in the booster seat?

We headed down to Qualcomm Stadium where the Chargers play.

When Steve heads to the restroom I decide I've had enough!!

He sees me and rescues his baby, telling it, "It's okay buddy, mama didn't mean it."

 Playing at the park

Now you know just how twisted we really are. We spent a whole Saturday traveling with this trophy around San Diego taking pictures.

Life

For the first time in what seems like forever, I have time to sit and blog. We've had a birthday party, annual school testing, Class Day, hair appts., playgroup, dental appts, clothes shopping, a trophy photojourney (I'll explain), etc....

John's 8th birthday

We had a party on Sunday for our son who turned eight. He is the networker of the family, I say he will be President of the U.S.A. someday, but he says no, okay, at the very least a GREAT used car sales man. We had so many people at our house and I was totally overwhelmed. We ran out of nacho cheese sauce which NEVER happens. It ran out before the burgers and hot dogs were even ready. I guess everyone was hungry!! We had a soccerball pinata that was so full of candy that the wire to hold it up with kept coming out, it just couldn't support the weight. Everytime a child wanted to hit the pinata we had to jimmyrig it back into place for "just one more time."

John opening his scooter

Some of the teens playing Aggravation

Adoption News

Received word that our dossier is in Washington D.C.  WooHoo!!! We will receive word back next Thursday or so.  Last night Steve & I went to a Waiting Families forum through our home study agency Adoption Options. We were the only family adopting from Ethiopia and they really didn't have much information on Ethiopia adoption itself. We did have a few questions answered. Our biggest eye opener in the process that we wanted to address is that some of these children still live with their mother/families. What?!!! They aren't put into the orphanage until a family is found for them. Poverty & hunger must be so powerful that to save the ones you love you allow them another family in a far away place. We thought that all children placed didn't have families. Really struggling with this whole concept. Not having been in poverty I just can't fathom what these families go through.

Library

We made a trip to the library the other day. I checked out Don Aslett's Clutter's Last Stand. I'm ready to chuck even more stuff and really minimize "things". The more things we have the more we have to take care of them and make space for them. I don't want more housework!!! 

I did realize that I need to utilize the library more. No reason to buy books if I can borrow them for free. No shelf space, no dusting, no rearranging every few years. Sounds like a deal to me!!! I also found more adoption books. The boys found lots of books and can't wait to go back.

Homeschool

Joel started reading his first book today!!! He was so excited. I have built it up since Friday, and every day he has been asking if today was THE day. Well today it was!!

Next week three of my children will do their annual SAT testing. I'm often surprised at how well they do in some subjects and how poorly in others. Sometimes the things I didn't teach them are the things they excel in that year. Somehow they picked up what they needed to know. I'm not sure how my sixth grader will do this year. It seems he does so poorly in a subject unless I'm able to explain things to him and spend one on one with him. We've backed up on math since it seems as though he wasn't getting the concepts down.

In the end I know they can catch up. I know they don't need to know ALL those facts. So far the two I've graduated have done okay for themselves. One is in the ___ Academy and the other is in the plumbing business. My junior is getting an A in Honors Chemistry and my daughter loves to read and is so willing to help young moms who need a hand. It's not ALL about pronouns and fractions and the Northwest Ordinance of 1757 is it?

Adoption

I am seriously getting antsy overhere!!! I want to know who our new children will be! I'm waiting for a DVD from Kingdom Kids on young available children. I want to buy things, but don't know who to buy for! I received a CD I ordered from KK, it's Defending the Cause: an Orphan Symposium featuring Rev. W.C. Martin.

Looked at hotels online in the Addis area and I think we may go for the Addis Sheraton. The reviews seem to be four and half-to-five stars. I emailed a doctor in our area recommended for international adoptions to see if she would evaluate the medical information given to us when we receive our referrals.

Weight Watchers

Started WW at home yesterday. I would like to lose about twenty pounds before we fly to Addis. Picked up some WW frozen meals at Vons today. Tonight we had spaghetti, salad, sour dough bread and strawberries. (Hey, that's an "S" meal if I ever heard of one!) We'll have Smart Pop popcorn later. I figured out that the trail mix I was eating is half the points I'm supposed to have in one day. The Cold Stone ice cream I love? It's a whole day's worth of calories by itself, not counting the add-ins. Doggone it!!! Ah well, at least there's sugar-free fat-free Jello pudding. Rice cake anyone?

Sarah

Sarah is doing better. She went to the ortho yesterday and they reattached the metal clip (permanent retainer that is attached to the back of her teeth.) On Saturday she was able to push her tooth back in place, although it's still a little lower than the other one, and she wore her retainer to help keep it in place until her ortho could see her. She's done remarkably well. She's one tough cookie.

Sarah

Last night Sarah and Jesse came home about midnight. They were attending a bon fire, and Sarah was going to spend the night at a friend's house since they were leaving early this morning to sell at the swapmeet. Tiring of the bonfire; everyone decided to play hide 'n' seek.  Hide 'n' Seek at 11:30 pm is not a good thing. It might be fun in theory, but this is what happened to my daughter.  My beautiful daughter who just got her expensive braces off not to long ago.

This is a picture of her just last week and then this morning.

Her tooth is dislodged, and now we have to go to the dentist, and the orthodontist sometime this coming week. For now she's to put ice and ibuprofen on it. I guess having seven brothers and NO sisters means she plays hard? By the way, the boy she ran into..................he has two teeth marks in his forehead. This same boy just got his haircut. His previous hairstyle? It covered his forehead. Wouldn't you know it?

Joe & sixth grade camp

Yesterday we picked up Joe from sixth grade camp. He had great time as I expected he would. He was only one of three (including the counselor/dad)who showered each day. He went with our ISP to Indian Hills Camp. It's about the coolest camp ever plus it's a Christian camp to boot! It has a giant playstructure, two pools, lots of dirt, farmyard, science classes, and lots of fun games. I found out that he loves my cooking! He hated the camp food, but the other kids thought it was great. My husband told him, "I keep telling you your mom is a good cook!" Okay, as long as I have a recipe I'm good. He was also given the job of keeping after a boy who seemed to say inappropriate things to people. His counselor figured since he's from a large family he must know how to handle such situations. He did.

Joe

James on the giant climbing web net

James' scarf

Here is  a picture of James and his scarf.  I used Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, one skein in denim blue.

Adoption News

Received two children's adoption books for siblings. Joel is not to keen on the idea of adopting a black baby. I'm not sure if it's adoption itself or the unfamiliarity of someone who is different than him or being displaced as "the baby".  

One is An I Can Read Book-Emma's Yucky Brother by Jean Little. The description on the back cover: Emma can't wait for her new aodpted brother, Max, to move in. But having a brother is a lot harder than Emma imagined-especially when Max calls her "yucky"! Is this really what little brothers are all about?

The second one is Seeds of Love: For brothers and sisters of international adoption by Mary E. Petertyl. Description from the front end flap: Adding a new baby to the family is an exciting time for young children. It can also be a stressful time, especially if you're a young child whose parents will be traveling abroad without you to complete an international adoption. Seeds of Love is a story about just such a girl. This beautifully illustrated book helps brothers and sisters of international adoption work through their feelings about being separated from their parents during this important time. It also gives parents fun and practical ideas for easing their children's anxiety prior to adoption travel.

Hope you have a great day in the Lord! Make it count! Tell someone you love them!

Well we hit a small snag in our dossier. We sent it to CWA on March 6. On March 13, we received notice that our local home study agency didn't enclose the notaries needed for some of their paperwork. Those were sent in 3/14, and hopefully they will have them today. The dossier then goes to the Embassy of Ethiopia in Washington D.C.. Two years ago when we visited Washington D. C. I must have passed right by it because we went by all the embassies one day. Who woulda' thunk that I would have any ties to any of them two years later?

I'm having a hard time waiting right now, waiting on God. I want to know RIGHT now who our new children will be. I know God has the perfect children for our family, but I have to be patient until He reveals who they are to us. I've been that way with each pregnancy test too. I didn't really mind if I was pregnant or not, I just wanted to know!

I was able to hold my new grandniece this past weekend. My arms got tired from giving her a bottle. I breastfed mine, and I guess they're held a little lower, but with the bottle it seemed like I held her up higher, that's what her mother noticed anyways. My niece Nicole thought I needed practice feeding with a bottle so anytime she was hungry I got to hold her!

Aunt Vik & Samantha

 We had a family get-together at my father-in-laws house. His nephew Joe was in town from Kentucky. Joe is married to Vickie so the two Vickie/Vikki's  were able to meet! As you can see we look NOTHING alike!

Vickie (Kentucky) & Vikki (California)   

Me & Jake at Christmas  (Isn't he handsome?)

The other night I went to watch two of my sons, Jake and Jesse, and my nephew, Josh, and their friends play an indoor soccer game. Jake was fouled on and went to retaliate. He got put in the box by the ref. I loved it! He got put in time out and I didn't have to put him there!!!!

I love this picture of Jesse, my 17yos. He's growing into quite the handsome and talented young man. He loves the piano and wants to pursue a music degree at San Diego Christian College in 2008.

I finished James' scarf last night. I'll take a picture later and post it. It's in denim blue and it's wool. I'll need to look at the label for all the particulars. I knitted one and purled one sixteen across. Not that he needs a wool scarf here in Southern California, but the idea that mom took time out of her day to make something for him just makes him smile!

I think I might make some scarves to take over to Ethiopia for some of the orphanage workers.

Have a great day! Make it count!!!

Hello all,

Hope today finds you well! I have throughly enjoyed reading The Complete Book of International Adoption by Dawn Davenport. From the feel of the book when I'm curled up in bed reading; down to the way she sounds like she's having a conversation with you. One of the thing this book has done for me is confirmed our decision to adopt internationally vs. domestic. Most of the adoptions are either through "the system" or privately. To go through the system most babies are adopted through the foster-adopt process. We didn't qualitfy for a foster license because we have a creek that  is "potentialy dangerous." Frankly, there is more danger in my toilet and bathtub than in our "creek" that has water every three-four years, but, oh well. For private adoption babies you have to "market" yourself to potential birthmoms unless you have a birthmom already lined up. Apparently most birthmoms don't take to couples over forty and that's who we are!

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We know our family isn't complete. How do we know? It's hard to describe. We just know. So international adoption it is. I'm glad we decided that route instantly instead of going through another process only to find out we weren't eligible. God's timing is amazing. If we would have waited, we would be on hold for this adoption of three little ones. We're approved for four children up to 71 months, which for you mathematically challenged is a month short of six.  It's starting to become real!! Tomorrow we receive our first gift!! My sil bought us a book on hair care. Can't wait!!!!

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Five of my boys went to the dentist yesterday. Unfortunately my youngest has several cavities, and one is between his front teeth, fortunately it's very small. His teeth are kind of close together without the usual gap between front teeth, because he has an extra tooth. His dad and I haven't flossed him and apparently it's showing. Teethbrushing is the one activity I hate. I guess I need to step up and get my dental game on.

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Checking out malaria and figuring out if we need to take the medication. Sounds like we might be able to not take it. It does have unpleasant side effects, so I don't want to take it if we don't have to. On the other hand, I don't want malaria. Things to think about that we take for granted here in the good ole' U.S. of A!

Have a great weekend! I'm going to a women's breakfast/craft at church tomorrow, then we go visit with extended family tomorrow afternoon. Fun, Fun, Fun weekend!!!

Got word that our dossier made it to the right place! That's a good thing to hear! Turns out that there is now a waiting list for Ethiopian adoptions for ages 0-4. CWA isn't taking any new applications unless the children you desire are five and over.  It seems the Ethiopian court/adoption system is overwhelmed with adoption requests that they need time to catch up with the current cases before they accept new ones. God is in control, isn't He? We obey and do what He's called us to do, can't go wrong with that plan!

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Today we went to Sea World in San Diego. I took the four youngest boys (6-11). We were able to go through our home school group and Sea World's education dept. We had a blast! We saw polar bears, beluga whales, sea stars, dolphins, otters, sea lions, manatees, sharks, piranhas, beautiful plants and of course wonderful home schoolers.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from today:

James, John, and Joe looking at a polar bear that was feeding on fish

The polar bear trying to catch the fish that was thrown in the water

James and a friend watching a beluga whale

John picking up a starfish while Joel watches

James and his starfish

The queen and her court.

Me next to my favorite flower-the hibiscus-taken by my 11 year old son. My goodness I'm starting to "look" old.  I guess at 46 I should give in?

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Have a great day! Make it count!

I sent in our dossier today! Here is a photo of the documents left behind. We sent in one original, two copies, and I made a copy for us to keep. The papers below include another dossier,  and three copies of the original second dossier. We have another set ready to go incase one of the children needs to come from a different orphange.

This morning I went to the Federal Building in downtown San Diego for our I-171H approval and got it! That allows us to bring international orphans into the country. I then went to the bank and got money orders for the Ethiopian Embassy and the U.S. State Dept. Made out our final check for our agency fee, translation fee, international children fees, post--placement fees, and then to Staples to overnight the paperwork to CWA by UPS. So much work went into those papers!! This is a list of what we had to get:

• Power of Attorney

• Dossier Cover Letter

• Home Study

• Home Study Agency’s License

•Home Study Social Worker’s License or Diploma

• Letter Verifying Completion of All State Pre-Adoption Requirements

• Police Clearance Letter Father & Mother

• Passport Photos for Father & Mother

• Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate and Divorce Decrees

• Medical Reports for Father & Mother 

•Family Photos

•Employment Letter for Father & Mother

•Bank Statement

•Page 1, Tax Form 1040, Last Three Years

•Parent Letter Requesting Adoption From Ethiopia

•Reference Letters

•Parent Commitment to Provide Post Placement Reports

•Adoptive Parent Form Father & Mother

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I also went to Barnes & Noble and bought The Complete Book of International Adoption: A step-by-Step Guide to Finding Your Child by Dawn Davenport. It looked the friendliest & most useful to me at this point. I am also reading I'm Chocolate & You're Vanilla which is very informative, but a little beyond me at this point. I ordered about $80 of books from Kingdom Kids and can't wait to read them!

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This is what I did yesterday afternoon. I brought this bookcase in from Jesse's (17) room into the dining room/family room part of the house. Jesse doesn't want the kids in his room, and well it has their books in it so something needed to be done. I was able to put our most played games in there too. We still have oodles more books, and  will work on that in the next few weeks.

 The Beverly Cleary and chapter books are on the top, I Can Read books on the left, some science and history books (we have two-three more bookcases with those books), picture books, books for baby, games, Dr. Seuss books and Charlie Brown books are towards the middle and bottom.

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All is well at the Grieshaber home!

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I took two boys to see Bridge of Teribithia this weekend. We all loved it! Joe had a 6th grade camp social so while he was there (we were forty minutes from home) we went to the movie. John, our 7yo was invited to go play in the snow.  He snapped that invitation up without thinking twice!

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Sarah is at Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm with her best friend's family.

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Our cupboards are done and look wonderful! I'll take a picture later and show you. They're a grayish off-white. Our oldest son said it really makes the kitchen look bigger. I think it makes the kitchen look cleaner.

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Steve took me out for lunch yesterday. We went to our favorite Mexican restaurant in Old Town, La Pinata. Stopped off for ice cream to bring home. We came home and lounged, read, and just enjoyed the afternoon.______________________________________

Today I'm meeting Steve to have our adoption documents notarized. I went to an adoption seminar this weekend and met some ladies that work with our agency, Christian World Adoption. It's good to have connections! One of them is also trying to adopt an infant from Ethiopia, so I know we'll be in touch often!

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I finished knitting John's scarf. Started on James' scarf and I'm reading Chameleon Days-An American Boy's Boyhood in Ethiopia. The book is kind of boring, but I thought I would get glimpses of Ethiopian life. His family were missionaries in the 1960's in Ethiopia and he and his brother were sent to missionary school. How this guy remembers things and conversations from when he was three are beyond me. The only thing I really remember from that long ago were Kennedy's assasination and the chaos that surrounded the news.

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Hope you have a great day! Make it count!

  “A Girl Like Me,” is a short video made by African American teenage girls. They discuss what it is like to be black in our culture, and even redo an experiment showing young black children choosing between a black or white baby to play with. I recommend watching this to learn about what color can mean in our culture. The link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17fEy0q6yqc .

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