Tipsy Friend - Kimberly of Zook Book Nook

My Tipsy Friend today is someone I have gotten to know not too long ago. I found her blog through Stasha's Monday Listicles where she was a fellow linker. I've enjoyed reading her blog ever since. She's expecting her 3rd child now and in her pregnant state, still manages to write great posts like the series she did on facing the Blogging Blaarghs by revisiting your first posts, finding your niche and creating waves with your blogging voice. Kimberly has also published short stories, articles, and essays. Her writing draws upon her life experiences of being a mother, a Navy wife, a naturalist, a traveler, a scientist and a teacher. She's also a wonderful bloggy friend and can be found leaving encouraging comments on numerous blogs; including mine. :)

Kimberly sent me her post on the day I launched Tipsy Friends. Talk about being efficient! I'm very happy today to finally be able to feature her. Thank you for waiting and Welcome to my bloghome Kimberly!

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Small Tokens

We are a family weak in cultural traditions, but rich in day-to-day traditions.

We get McDonalds Happy Meals once a week.

We visit the ocean, buckets in tow, a few times a month.

We have movie nights, frequently.

We read books and tell bedtime stories before tucking our little ones in.

We include Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny in our family album.

On the day I read Germaine’s post about Family Traditions happened to be the same day my four-year-old came home from preschool asking me about our culture.

I was given a form to complete. “What traditions do we celebrate in our family? What elements of my daughter’s culture would she like to share with her classmates?”

Being the Mama Bear that I am, I don’t want my daughter to go to school empty handed when it’s her turn to share her culture.

But can she really bring in an ear of corn from my Midwest upbringing. Is it appropriate for her to bring in a Canadian flag since that is the country she was born in when we were stationed there for my husband’s job with the U.S. Navy?

I took a look around our home. It is currently adorned with small tokens from my husband, who is deployed half-way around the world. He’s in Germaine’s and Alison’s neck of the woods.

Perhaps my daughter can share her rainsticks from Singapore, Batik paint kits from Malaysia, pink silk clothes from Thailand, tasty treats from the Philippines, and a Spiderman costume from Indonesia.

These small tokens don’t have origins in our heritage, yet both of my daughters treasure them. Their eyes are opened to different worlds in the postcards their daddy sends home. Their senses take in the diversity of items from each country.

We may not have many cultural traditions in our family, but sharing tokens of different cultures with children can only enrich their minds.

I imagine when it is my daughter’s turn at school, she will choose her Spiderman costume from Indonesia to share with her classmates.

Who knew children half-way around the world from our tiny corner here in North America enjoyed pretending to be Spiderman, too?

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Ain't her girls just adorable in those silk 'Sam Fu'? 

Thank you Kimberly for sharing with us the cultural diversity your kids are exposed to and how important it is for them to respect and treasure these small tokens in their lives.

Please head on over to Zook Book Nook to read more about Kimberly and follow her there and on Twitter too.