3rd Annual Blogging for Families Day

Yikers, it's almost midnite, and I came "thisclose" to missing the deadline. Whew - I think I'll get this in before the clock strikes 12.

I completed this task last year, so here goes it again.

Hmmmmm, Blogging for Families Day - sometimes I think that when I blog about my family that really, we are very similar to any other family raising kids. But then I remember our "family" is not the "Traditional" family and we worked really hard to get here. Thankfully, Laura and I haven't been negatively affected by the fact that we are a two-mom family. Our family doctors, teachers, co-workers, etc., they are all more than welcoming to us. I used to think I had to go into a situation (i.e. school or a Dr's appt.) with an arsenal of explanations for our family, but really, I don't. Now, I just go in and when I fill out forms for the kids I cross off "father" and put "mother". I don't make a big deal over it, it just is. And for the most part, it isn't a big deal. Foster's school had a few glitches and we worked with them to correct it (i.e. the "Mother" and "Father" thingie on the forms - I mean, seeing how now the divorce rate is about 50% there are tons of kids being raised by grandparents, single parents, etc. - I want to say "Get with the program" - so I did...;-))

Anyway, now I'm of the mindset that I just go into the situation and that our family is just as valued, just as normal, and just as perfect as any other family. I expect nothing short of complete acceptance. Why should I "settle" for anything less?? My kids deserve it, they deserve to know that they have 2 loving parents - regardless of their parent's sexual orientation. And now that CA has (so far) gone so far as to 'approve' gay marriage, we have another thing to think about.

Laura and I are registered domestic partners. She adopted the boys after I birthed them. Her name is on the birth certificate. She is mom. I'm mom. Clear and simple. Should something ever happen to me, there is not ONE. SINGLE. OTHER. person in this world I'd completely trust to raise our kids than her. NONE. NONE. NONE.

So, marriage. Hmmmm, a piece of paper, some legal documents, equal opportunities - a lifetime commitment. Yup. We gotta go there. I mean, this is our chance - we are lucky, VERY lucky to live in a state that recognizes our family as a legal unit. We have to go forward and be recognized. Other states need to get with the program. Our families are everywhere. We need to stand up and be counted and recognized. That's why we fight for our families. Why we put so much effort into making sure all our proverbial ducks are in a "straight" row (if you didn't get that pun, re-read it in the context of this post...). We do it to show our 3 boys that they mean the world to us and therefore we are fighting for their freedom in the future - should one, two or all three of them need the same protections that we are afforded. For us and all the other families out there.

Isn't that what it's all about?

Oh, and how can anyone resist 3 wee boys doing the Macarena (blast to the past eh?)