August 9, 2007
Sweet Adelina.
My daughters (all 800 of them) like to talk about “baginas” and as a child of the 70s this makes me at once proud, and a little embarrassed (especially, when “baginas” are yelled about during gymnastics).
We know what’s what in my house and we’re not afraid to call a spade a spade.
Once in awhile, however, I do long for a more lyrical and poetic discussion of the matters of the body (and of the heart?). And the question I sit with often is: What is that right line between words and heart? Between poetry and descriptive literalism?
When does “No not there, you silly” give way to nonverbal cues and shifting hips.
And this from a girl who clearly doesn’t often know the difference between calling out about the naked emperor and keeping her own counsel about his lack of clothing.
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In other news, I’m in the Seattle P-I today sounding like an anti-breastfeeding meanie.
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I’m blog sitting over at Pundit Mom today.
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After insisting that I have a penis, my son has taken to claiming that he DOES TO have a ‘gina.
Your quote sounds realistic, not mean. I agree with the woman quoted after you–there are enormous workplace and cultural changes that would have to occur in this country before we ever see anything approaching “100%”bf-ing rates–and even then plenty of women will be unable to make it work, or simply not interested.
August 9th, 2007 at 5:03 pmI think that line has to come with age, don’t you?
August 9th, 2007 at 5:17 pmI dont think you’re being mean either. But maybe that’s just because I side with your opinion on breastfeeding.
August 9th, 2007 at 6:49 pmI agree. I didn’t think you were being mean at all. I thought you were a voice of reason in an often over-charged debate. Hey, that’s why I wanted you in the story.
August 10th, 2007 at 6:02 amBossy’s British neighbor used to refer to her bagina as her “front bottom.” It doesn’t get any more repressed than that.
August 10th, 2007 at 5:07 pmMy daughter has named it a ‘lava’
We don’t know why.
Now Adam yells that he can see her Lava!
August 11th, 2007 at 12:20 amIs that worse than yelling about where her penis is?
I didn’t think you were mean…and as a mom well past babyhood and have breastfed and not breastfed, I enjoyed reading both sides of the issue…although, I agreed with you.
But then, I’m your bitch, so that’s to be expected.
My son called his sister’s vagina “her ba-China”. Cute.
But I liked the fact that he called his penis his Peanut until about a year ago, better.
August 11th, 2007 at 6:47 pmCall me old-fashioned, but I haven’t taught my 3-year-old anything other than ‘bum’ yet for her private parts- I figured I’d wait to impart the big news until she’s old enough not to shout it out in public. She named her nipples “bug bites” on her own, refers to them ALL THE TIME in public, and refused to believe me when I told her they were called “nipples.” Add vagina to that and I’d be a nervous wereck.
August 11th, 2007 at 10:53 pmClaudia calls it her pagina.
A lot.
August 12th, 2007 at 3:34 am