Holding the Rain

Cute phrases uttered tonight by my three-year old:

• "I'm going to hold the rain." He's not going to pee in his sleep. I think "rain" is a good way to describe urination.
• "What's dead mean?" Good question. Try explaining that to a three year old.
• "I want to play with Daddy's friends." I wonder what he thinks Daddy is doing when he's playing cards and smoking cigars with his friends. Maybe he thinks Daddy and his friends are playing at the park. That's funny to imagine.
  
• "I couldn't stop the wind." He was talking about his time at the park and his frustration with the wind blowing. He can't control the wind. Isn't that a good lesson for us all? There are just some things we can't control.
• "I want to run." He saw some other people running across the parking lot and lawn and he wanted to run too. Once I felt it was safe, off he went. The freedom of unrestrained running.

My children are such a fresh breath of air after a long day away, playing in the corporate playground.

South American Birthmark

I have a birthmark on my left knee that always held my imagination.

As captured by me, on the orbiting Blackberry 8310.

Apparently, the Blue Yak, has a birthmark the shape of the Caspian sea, as stated in a February post. After reading this post, I wondered if we had twin birthmarks, but we don't.

Image captured by the MODIS on the orbiting Terra satellite

I definitely think my birthmark looks like South America.











As I child I believed that my birthmark was an angel kiss. Or I wanted to believe it, but didn't really because it didn't make any sense. I think kids know when grown-ups make up silly stories.

My uncle told my cousin Mark that it was chocolate and he should lick it off my knee. Mark tried before I slapped him away. How gross is that?

Oddly enough, I love my birthmark. I don't know why. It's part of me. It's a constant.

Now that I've shown you mine, show me yours.

Top 10 Things Jensen Likes to Talk About -- May 2009

I've been cleaning up my blog--adding titles to old entries and consolidating the labels. While doing that, I came across a blog entry from 2006, "Top 10 Things Jensen Would Say If He Could Talk." It's cute.

And then, I wrote one in 2007. "Top 10 Things Jensen Likes to Talk About." It's cute too. He's 2 years old.

Now, he's almost 4 and he has lots to say.

Top 10 Memorable Things Jensen Has Said Recently

1. Stop, Anna! (the sibling rivalry is beginning)
2. What do dinosaurs eat?
3. Make him talk (giving me a Hot Wheels car)
4. The robots are going to get me.
5. Where's Elijah? Where's Ben? Where's Eli?
6. I'm going to work (with his backpack on, he heads up the stairs like mama).
7. I'll help you.
8. Let's go to the park!
9. What do _______ do? (questions what everything under the sun does)
10. Why?

Six months ago, all he did was ask, "why?" We'd answer the "why" until we came to: "Because that's the way it is." I would sometimes say, "I can't answer that." Overall, it's a good experience to ask "why" until you get to the bottom, just to see what is at the core of life.

His language has become more complex and he's starting to ask questions about abstract things. In the past month we've discussed what evil means, where God is and who can touch his private parts. The first two are hard to answer and encourage me to figure out how to articulate what I believe. And how to articulate those beliefs so a three year old understand. The third topic is an easy one--just him.

Parents who blog--be sure to document what your kids are saying once in awhile. It's so fun to look back and see how the little ones develop.

Green Festival Chicago

As soon as I read about the Green Festival, I knew I wanted to go. Saturday is the day I try to have adventures with my kids and a train ride into downtown as well as a bus to Navy Pier qualified as an adventure. As it turns out 35,000 also viewed the Green Festival as an adventure!

The top 10 things that I enjoyed about Green Festival in Chicago:

1. Relatively inexpensive: The ticket price is $10 for those who take public transportation and $15 for those who don't. I took public transportation so it was $10 to get in. If I had successfully wrangled a friend into joining me, it would have been $5 with the 2 for 1 coupon I got from Tink-Tinks.

2. Speakers: I heard 10 minutes of Amy Goodman's talk in which she described being one of 40 journalists arrested because they were covering the protests at the Republican convention in 2008. Her side of the story is on YouTube here.

She also made a good point about journalists being "embedded" in Washington and therefore not able to be objective in their political reporting.

3. Kid-friendly activities: Getting to Navy Pier was an adventure and by the time we got there, the kids were squirrley. This area, near Green Parent Chicago's exhibit, was fun for kids and relaxing for parents. My two kids loved playing with the foam letters. We also played with a turtle that was slowly making its away around the booth. There were many other events as Green Parent Chicago outlined in their blog. Throughout the exhibit hall, there were many people with small children in strollers and wearing them.








4. Free samples: Our first stop was Numi Tea. They had their boxed tea on sale for $5/box. They had samples of their Chocolate Puehr, which was a nice tea. I bought a box with a variety of their teas. Organic Valley gave out samples of their milk. Rishi tea was giving out samples. Many others were too. While you couldn't pull together a meal with the samples, you could stay partially hydrated.





5. Local vendors: There some local vendors who could do some cool work on your house, adding environmentally friendly features. Don't ask me to tell you whant because I just looked at their displays, making a mental note for the future when I'm a homeowner. While Kleen Kanteen was there selling their fine water bottles, a local business brought its reusable stainless steel bottles. For $10, I bought a small sippy from Stainless Cups, a company located in Carol Stream, Illinois. She also sold cups that would be great for my kids at mealtime and larger reusable bottles. I anticipate buying more from her in the future.

The food vendors were unlike any that you usually find at an event. Hummus, vegan options and healthy food made lunch an interesting event.

6. Comfy clothing: There were several clothing, purse and shoe vendors. I could buy bamboo jersey, organic cotton, children's clothing and t-shirts with statements about the environment. I wish professional attire could be made with organic fabrics. I bought a cute dress for my daughter from Happygreenbee. The dress was super on sale.

I also really appreciated this shirt that says, "Well behaved women seldom make history." This is a quote from Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.





7. Dance-able tunes. I walked around for awhile, checking out the vendors, hearing some lectures and enjoying the peace of kids passed out. When they woke up, we went to the far left side of the hall and listened to some great music. Going back to the schedule online, I'm pretty sure we listened to Big Sky Stringband. Both of the kids wiggled a little and Anna went over to steal a band member's bicycle helmet.

8. Try before you buy. One of my favorite exhibits was by Essentia, a mattress company. I've been looking at options for chemical-free mattresses for awhile. I'm pretty sure at some point I'm going to buy a 100% natural latex mattress, but didn't know if I'd like it. For some reason, local furniture stores and mattress stores don't carry them. *sarcastic--not sure why a chemical free mattress wouldn't be widely available, it'd be easy to create demand for it with good marketing* I laid on their latex mattress and was in love. Answers that question.

9. Favorite purchase. I try to use reusable bags when I go to the grocery store and I have quite the collection because I have walked into the store numerous times without them. So then I buy one or two more and pray my groceries fit into a few bags. How many times have you done that? Well, ChicoBag has the solution. I spent $5 on this little bag and was my favorite purchase of the event. It'll be in my purse and will go into stores with me because I usually bring my purse. I could attach it to my keys. Business owners and organization can buy them branded as well.

10. It exists. I'm glad the event happens every year and in several cities around the United States. It's important to gather and talk about environmental issues. The exhibitors demonstrate that each of us can make buying choices that have less impact on the environment. I look forward to going next year and hope to hear more of the speakers. Check out whether it's happening in a city near year--www.greenfestivals.org.

Rachel's Ramblings

In order to conceal my true identity and to conceal my blog from co-workers and other snoopy people, I've purchased a URL for my blog. It's now Rachel's Ramblings!

But I lost my blog roll settings. So I just added back the blogs of the people I know and other blogs that I like to read. I especially like to read the blogs of the people who comment on my blog. So if your blog isn't on my blog roll, let me know and I'll add it. I follow a lot of people and occasionally catch up on my reading through Google Reader, but most of the time I use my blog roll to see who has posted recently.

Head in the Sand

Is anyone else enjoying burying their head in the sand when it comes to the economy?

In September and October of last year, I remember driving to work every day and listening to NPR on the radio. All I heard was about how the economy was falling apart and we'd be toast without a bailout. Having been laid off from a "secure" job in August, I knew things were getting tough.

It was really depressing--every single morning--reports on different ways the economy was crumbling.

Then I lost that job right before Christmas and finding another job seemed daunting. But again, I found a new position (thanks to networking and the kindness of a former boss, it landed in my lap).

I've been working from home so I don't listen to NPR every morning. I read health care headlines and the big news is health care reform. None of my close friends or family members have lost their jobs.

My head has been happily buried in the sand.

So I listened to NPR again today as I wandered to Sweet Tomatoes for Mom's Night Out with some cool moms. I listened to a story on All Things Considered about the Balzekas dealership who aren't licensed to sell Chryslers anymore. Can't blame GM--they sold one Chrysler a month.

I wish I could find the link to the next story. Maybe it was on Marketplace, which is also on NPR. It said that it usually takes 2 years to recover from a recession and it's only been since last fall that we've been in a recession so it's not done. And, since this recession is bad like pre-World War II recessions, it will get far worse before it gets better.

I hate it when people say that. And I hate it when the old people in my life predict that the economy is going to get worse.

What am I supposed to do with that? Stop trying to do my best at work because I'm going to lose my job anyway and won't be able to find one for a long, long, long, long time and my family will move into a local campground?

Really, what am I supposed to do with the opinions on our economy when the economics and the old people are saying the same thing? Why would I preserve or strive to achieve when it's only going to get worse and hopeless?

I'm putting my head back in the sand. We can talk about the economy in five years.

Around a campfire with the other hobos.

Five Years!

********drum roll**********

I've been blogging for five years!

I don't know if you noticed, but did some organization on my blog. I wish I had 3 columns, but I'm working with the two that seem to come standard with Blogger (hints?). I have been adding labels to my posts for the past few months, but hid them at the bottom. My archive was buried as well.

As you can see, I've made my labels more prominent and the archive is easy to find. This took probably two hours to go back into the archives and add titles and labels.

My first post was March 2004. The first post wasn't remarkable. After that, I posted some observations during my commute on public transit.

Then: no kids, worked downtown, boring job
Now: 2 kids, work from my home (and soon in the office), exciting job

I love blogging and thanks for following!

Now, where's the FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY blog button?

End of an Era

For the past 3 1/2 months, I've been working full-time from home. I hide upstairs in my cave and join the corporate world virtually. I've built a strong relationship with my direct report, gotten to know colleagues in Florida and other offices, facilitated conference calls with clients, vendors and colleagues located all over the country. I have accomplished a lot and have really made my mark in the last 90 days.

And most of the time, don't tell anyone, I'm wearing very casual clothing and fuzzy socks.

For the most part, my kids stay downstairs. At first it was hard and my son/dinosaur would peek in to roar, play cars or ask for a need to be met. My daughter visits occasionally for a snack/meal only I can provide. The soft boundaries between work and home are comforting and fulfilling. Sometimes they're frustrating as work gets interrupted or paused for home life. Then, home life is put on the back burner as I work late to finish a project. Or start a project.

When I talk to my WOHM (work outside the home mom) friends, I feel like a poser. I don't have the challenges of a commute or annoying co-workers (anyone who frustrates me can be ignored until I cool down). But I'm not a WAHM (work at home mom) because I have to work eight hours during traditional hours and I need childcare while I do my job.

But the company is opening an office 30 miles from here and I'll be working from there most days. The traffic is going to be terrible because they're rebuilding our roads. The train is a good drive away and the schedule is inflexible. I'll be spending more on gas, food and a wardrobe. I'll be more tired.

I'm looking forward working in an office. I will be able to build stronger relationships with co-workers. I'll have those important chats about work and non-work topics that spontaneously happen in close quarters. I'll figure out where I really am in the pecking order. And I'll get to be grown up, professional Rachel more often--laying aside Mama Rachel for long time periods. I've been assured I don't have to work in the office five days a week.

It's the end of an era. It was a good 90 days, but I'm looking forward to what the next chapter holds.

Be Still

Whether or not to Twitter in church?

This is an interesting question that came up, sparked by one of my favorite bloggers, Eugene Cho. He's a pastor of a church in Seattle and is starting a non-profit/non-religious grassroots humanitarian organization with the vision of joining others to fight extreme global poverty.

I'm sure there are lots of ways to use Twitter in church. It could be a note taking method, except your notes are shared with all those who follow your tweets. The cynic could let off steam by mocking the pastor. The tweets could be reviewed at the next small group meeting. Church members could make plans for post-church lunch. Twitter might keep people alert during the entire service.

But I think that "Be still and know that I am God" is a best practice. Open the mind, heart and spirit and allow God to move. Be still. Let God access the places in you that need healing or straightening up.

If you're moving 100 mph Twittering while listening, you might miss something. And ironically, Twitter is supposed to add to our lives but it could end up taking from our spiritual life if not used wisely.

Freedom of Choice

When it comes to giving birth, women don't have choice. To begin, I believe many women are pushed into an over-managed labor and birth that would have different (better) outcomes if not managed. Our perspective on birth, which is a natural process, has become more and more medicalized over the past 100 years. I believe the body should be allowed to do what it is made to do, women need to embrace the power they have to give birth and medicine should be available if needed. Like many things in life, we should not make decisions out of fear.

Because of how we view birth and our bodies, c-section rates have risen. And repeat c-section rates have risen following a brief time when vaginal births after c-sections (VBACs) were encouraged.

Now, many women do not have a choice as to how they give birth. The option of VBAC is not available to them. More and more hospitals (currently 800 in the US) do not allow VBACs (Laura Hooper's blog links to a database showing all the hospitals that do not allow VBACs). OBs do not accept patients who want to try for a VBAC. These policies leave women with no choice.

A woman can try for a VBAC at home without quick access to emergency medical care. The medical professional who can legally attend her at home varies state by state. For those not comfortable with a home birth, she is left with one choice.

She can accept a repeat c-section.

Those don't sound like choices to me.

A recent article by Lynn M Paltrow discusses the lack of VBAC choice by using the issue of legislation to prevent coerced abortions and to encourage informed decision making as it pertains to abortion. She recognizes that pregnant women need protection from coercion. She recommends:

"...legislation would ... make it illegal to pressure or coerce a pregnant woman to have any medical intervention. This would include policies that force pregnant women who have had previous cesarean surgery to have repeat surgery whether they need it or not."

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists establishes the evidence-based guidelines for care when it comes to pregnancy and birth. In their pamphlet for women considering VBAC, they state:

VBAC can be an option for many women. Whether VBAC is a good choice for you depends on many factors.

No labor or delivery is risk-free. Both repeat cesarean births and VBAC have risks and benefits. When considering VBAC, you need to know the risks. Weigh those risks against the benefits before you decide. Your doctor will help guide your decision to do what is best for you and your baby.

For many women, they do not have the opportunity to make an informed decision and weigh the benefits and risks before them. The decision alluded to by ACOG, "guide your decision" -- women do not have the ability to make that decision due to physician and facility policies.

The fact that so many women do not have birth choices is an issue that should catch the attention of feminists. All women should have the option to make an informed decision to VBAC.

But today in the United States, the freedom to birth has been taken from many of our sisters.

Chance to win a free swim diaper!

Buying a reusable swim diaper makes sense.

• The usual objections to reusable diapers don't apply--there's no poop, stink or pins involved. Yeah, there's a little laundry, but you could rinse it out with the swim suit.
• Buying one swim diaper saves a lot of money in a summer if your family swims often
• The swim diaper doubles as a suit.
• A swim diaper is less bulky than a disposable swim diaper.
  
• Choosing to be environmentally friendly is cool these days and buying a swim diaper is an easy way to be cool.

I found Tink-Tinks in Evanston when I was exploring cloth diapering. I had done some research, but I needed to touch and feel my options. The store gave me that opportunity. To find a store that sells cloth diapers in your area, go to BumGenius, Bummis.com or Fuzzibunz.com and look for their retailers. You might find a real live cloth diaper store near you!

Anyway, on Tink-Tink's blog, they're asking for a favorite swim diaper and they're giving away a free swim diaper to a lucky commenter. If you haven't tried a swim diaper, leave a comment anyway and follow their blog--you might win!

Click to their blog in another window and keep reading this post. I want to tell you about my favorite swim diaper.

Imse Vmse swim diapers are cut like Speedos and are made to fit snugly, which is good because you wouldn't want the poo to plop out, right? That's the whole point of a swim diaper and why public pools require them. Imse Vmse fit like underwear and you could put traditional American swim shorts on or a cute bathing suit. They could also just be worn plain and they have tops for girls. I would order by weight and not by size.

There are other swim diapers, but I know one involves Velcro. My daughter likes to remove velcro diapers, so that one is out. No nudity at the pool!

If you live in Chicagoland, you can check with Tink-Tinks to see when they have them available. It's starting to unthaw around here!

Someday I'll be lucky again

In my life, I have won a TV and a vacuum and other assorted prizes. I do not consider myself lucky.

But I always have hope.

That's why I entered Kelly's Closet's giveaway. She's giving away a lot of cloth diapers and since I could always use more diapers, I entered.

I'm hoping to win:
1-bumgenius One size Diaper in FLEECE
1-FuzziBunz One Size Diaper
1-Haute One Size Diaper
1-Rumparooz G2 One Size Diaper with 6-r Soaker
1-Wahmies One Size Diaper
1-Happy Heiny's One Size Diaper
1-Planet Wise Hanging Wet/Dry Bag
1-Planet Wise Wet Bag Small
1-Thirsties Fab Wipes 6pk
1-Earth Mama Monthly Comfort Tea Bags

Here's the link: Giveaway. Contest ends May 13.

If I'm not lucky, hope you will be. It'd be cool to know the person that win such an assortment of diapers!

Thanks to Mom

My mother has been with me since my beginning. She carried me and shared her nutrients with me. She gave birth to me. She breastfed me at a time when no one did such a thing. I can imagine that she showered me with love from the beginning, kissing me often and suffering through my tears.

I remember her tortoise-rimmed glasses and long hair. I remember her curly permed hair. Her scent is forever etched in my brain. I know how it feels to be hugged by her. I love her hands.

I remember the pretty dresses that she made with her new Viking sewing machine. They had neat heart stitches on the bottom hem. I will never forget the sound of her sewing machine whirring through the late night hours.

I remember her watching as my sister and I discussed the correct pronunciation of "nola and o-gurt." (granola and yogurt). I remember going to a farm with her and getting gallons of milk, practically straight from the cow. Some of the milk went into a large pan and she made homemade yogurt.

I remember spending evenings in the garden. Planting in the chilly spring. Weeding. Harvesting while avoiding spiders.

I am who I am because of her. I love vegetables. I know what carob tastes like. I can sew. I know how to tie a quilt and what it feels like to snuggle under a new handmade quilt. I have canned vegetables and made jam from fruit tossed aside by a grocery store. I know that continuing to love my husband brings life-long rewards. I know how to survive tough financial times and how to make beans taste good. I know that the more friends around a table, the better. I don't let my babies cry for me. I know how to properly clean a bathroom. I suspect that I should make my bed every morning but don't. I know that friends of all generations provide wisdom for all seasons of life. I know that I should abstain from gossip. I know how to read.

I have received so much from my mother, learned so much and loved so much.

Thank you, Mom!

What I think of Twitter

I have found Twitter to be a very interesting communication tool. It has evolved since I joined in October of 2008. My first post -- OK. Now what? Or maybe I finally get it.

It was recently said that Twitter is a bunch of people on megaphones and I have to confess that for the most part it comes off that way. Everyone announcing what's going on, what's interesting to them and what we should articles we should read. The format doesn't foster two-way communication like Facebook or blogging. Or like sitting in a room with a person and actually talking to them.

Remember what that was like?

I have found that Twitter is helpful to me professionally as I try to stay on top of what's going on in my industry, what the competitors are doing, how health care is evolving and what's happening with health care reform in Washington. I don't have to Google the net for "health care reform" and weed through pages and pages. I don't have to scroll through Google Reader to find the interesting articles. I don't have to peruse the email newsletter from industry organizations. I just scroll past tweets on TweetDeck and look for the pearls.

Twitter is also a way to tap into what people are talking about. Enter a search into TweetDeck for a topic of interest: cloth diaper.

wallpop is distributing information about a free cloth diaper lending service in Iowa.

Abrey4cloth is talking with cutecaboose about cloth diapers.

Bambinobend is giving info on a cloth diaper workshop.

Other tweets were about links to cloth diaper articles and sites. One woman asked: "My sister-in-law is having a baby & can't decide between cloth & disposable diapers.Any advice for a new mom?She is aware of diaper services."

Great question! I direct messaged her (like sending an email--it's just between us) and gave her a link to some sites with information, including all of the Undercover Mother's posts on cloth diapering.

And you know Twitter is effective at creating communication because the spammers are picking up on it. I have had at least five people following me who are supposedly making tons of money with Internet marketing or their profile has been taken down due to "suspicious activity."

I think Twitter has its place in our lives and is here to stay. It's a useful tool. However, no tool can replace an old-fashioned conversation in person.

Utter Delight

I have been exploring StumbleIt! So far, it doesn't do much for me. But I do get a weekly email with recommendations of what websites I would enjoy. This picture from Flickr made front page on StumbleIt. I can't copy it or it'd be on this post. But click here and enjoy.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29938485@N07/3481278718/

When have you been this happy?

Every Other Weekend

Sometimes I don't like my husband. Sometimes I think he's no help at all. Sometimes I think I do all the work. Sometimes I think I could live just fine without him as he's not useful anyway.

Every other weekend I get a wake up call.

He works all day on Saturday so it's my day with the kids until 6 p.m. when he returns. I usually have a week's work to get done in that one day, so we stay busy grocery shopping, cleaning, folding laundry, shopping for other necessities, socializing and playing. Most Saturdays, I drink up the time with my kids and every minute is a joy.

But this past Saturday, it was a LONG day. By 3:00, I had had enough of being climbed on, vigilantly watching about what goes in their mouths, hoping Anna didn't hurt her injured pinky finger, trying to unpack boxes (we moved a month ago) and organize. The afternoon crawled by as I struggled to stay patient.

On Sunday my husband went to visit his son who lives three hours away. He left before we woke up and returned around 8:00 that night. I came to the conclusion that one way to have a long weekend is to spend it with two small children--it lasts forever. I planned a long walk and lunch at a restaurant, then playing in the park. There were some chores to be done as I wanted to finish up what I started the day before. We listened to some tunes and played outside. But 3:00 arrived and I had had enough--where was my husband? I needed back up.

After this weekend, I came to appreciate my husband who is my partner. I love how our children welcome him home and crawl all over him. I appreciate how changing diapers, playing with them, feeding them, watching over them is one of his duties and he embraces it. He truly enjoys our children.

But most of all, I love feeling like I'm not alone. Because he spends so much time parenting them, he understands what it feels like at 3:00. He knows what it's like when two small people overwhelm the adult. I hope I can remember all the good things about having him as a partner.

If not, I know that I'll remember every other weekend.

Tuesday Ramblings

I have lots to say and I find that the posts that are brewing are rather opinionated. So I thought I'd post some mild stuff that I've been thinking and laughing about.

What do you think it means that my toddler brought me my Secret deodorant and strongly encouraged me to put it on my armpits?

___________

My one year old stuck her pointer finger in my mouth then stuck it up her nose as far is it would go.

___________

My mom had the rule that we could go swimming when it was 80 degrees or warmer. What temperature does it really need to be? They just filled up our pool in our community and it's tempting.

____________

It's exciting when I hear about someone having their first baby. So much is ahead and new life is beautiful.

____________

The news that a friend is having her first baby got me thinking. There are lots of decisions to make when raising a child. And everyone has an opinion about how it should be done. But I think the two decisions I have made that I am most happy with and never regret are breastfeeding (and breastfeeding past a year) and co-sleeping. Two practices that have truly enriched my life and have been so helpful for my children.

Two things I would do differently: cloth diaper my son from the beginning and be strict about a bedtime routine. We were sloppy about putting him to bed and there were good reasons we let him stay up late (so he would see his dad). I think my son truly hates going to bed and always has. But I think we might have had a little easier time if we had stuck to a set bedtime and routine. Since becoming stricter about a set bedtime and I have made the routine VERY simple--we've had an easier time. Or maybe it's just his age or the fact that he doesn't nap. Who knows. That's the tricky thing about being a parent, you can think the success is due to your own doing, but maybe it's not. The same is true for "failure."

____________

So that's what I've been thinking about.

More on Age & Reproduction

In February I posted a short post asking:

Why does the human body matures sexually ahead of cognitive development? Really, does that make sense? A person 13-15 years old is sexually mature but doesn't have the physical ability to make logical/rational decisions.

I really appreciated the input from my readers.

I found a few articles were published about the topic and they provided some insight into early reproduction and marriage.

The first, "Bad Biology: Girls Should Not Get Pregnant," explains that even though girls start menstruating and maturing in their early teens (or earlier), they are not mature enough to have healthy pregnancies. The anthropologist, Meredith Small, says menstruation is "not really a sign that a human female is ready to reproduce." A young girl may have the hormonal drive, but is still too immature for sexual activity. This article is focused on biology. I remember at 13 the hormones seemed intense but I also remember being really silly. Her description of young primates remember me of myself.

Meredith Small published another article last spring called, "The Shocking Truth About Married Girls." This article discusses the cultural constructs surround marriage and age. She has an interesting tangent about what girls can do sexually before marriage in different cultures.

Together, these articles put sexual maturity and marriage in perspective.