* Peter Pan, while highly entertaining, definitely shows its age when it comes to socially inappropriate terms. the song “What Made the Red Man Red” made both Jeremy and me both cringe in horror.

* A Thanksgiving book my mom gave Livia does a much better job with terminology… as in, “Squanto was a Native American.

* Final note on socially appropriate terms. The other day I read of some Hollywood woman and how her family includes “a son, Matt, and an adopted son, Joe.” Uh, hello? A son is a son is a son. There should be no distinction between how a son came to be a son. I feel pretty fiercely about this topic and I’ve been surprised at how inconsiderate some folks are in regards to adoption. By all means, let’s talk about the ins and outs of adoption, but thinking before speaking is definitely advised. People commonly ask me questions about Livia’s mom without realizing what they’re saying. For the record, I’m Livia’s mom. We call the mom of her birth quite simply, the birthmom.

* Is the phrase “politically correct” still widely used? I don’t think the points above fall under the politically correct label, so I used other terms instead.

* I planned to write a post on observations, and it turned into a mini-rant on terminology instead. I get kind of wound up about adoption–but only because it’s so near and dear to me. Read this article on the topic… It warms my heart!