Adoption Awareness Month-November 2020

    More often that not, when I hear people talk about adoption, they talk about the expense of it all.  And, while it is expensive to go through an agency, a broker, or do an international adoption, many seem to overlook the overwhelming nunber of foster children in the United States.  Policies differ from state to state, and I only have knowledge of Louisiana's DCFS progam.  I rarely write in 2nd person.  Mostly because it was drilled into my head not to by all of my English teachers.  However, in this instance, I think it's appropriate. 

    In Louisiana, when you begin the process of adoption through DCFS, you have to take classes in whatever parish you reside in.  In the parishes with smaller populations, the class may be held in a neighboring parish.  Before the last class, you will be finger printed and have a background check run for every adult in your home.  After you complete the classes, you will hold dual certification in foster and adoption.  This is because in order to adopt a child, you must foster them for 6 months prior to the adoption.  These classes are very informative, and above all else, remind you that the state's 1st goal is reunification with their birth parents.  The following information will not be exact:

    Before a child is placed in your care, you will meet your home care worker.  This person will do monthly inspections of your home, to ensure your family and home are safe and stable for the foster child.  A few requirements--fire extinguishers, medication out of reach of the child, water heater temperature must be set so that a child could push the handle all the way to the hottest setting, and still have their hand under the water for 30 seconds or so.  Pets must be current on all required vaccinations.  They don't want your house to look like a museum, but it must be safe for the child and this depends on the age of the child.  The child's social worker will also visit monthly, to speak with the child and see how he or she is doing.  

    When a foster child (rarely 1 child, sibling groups are much more common), is placed with you, they're going to have very few possessions.  One of the first things their social workers will do is take them shopping.  At the time we did foster care, we could choose Walmart or Target (Always choose Target.  The clothes last longer).  Depending on the age of the child, a car seat may be purchased, some diapers, wipes, clothes, shoes, other necessities, and always, a suitcase.  

    Like I said earlier, single child placements are very rare.  Especially if you want younger children, it's always a good choice to accept sibling groups.  During your home care assessment, you will fill out a form where your state your preferences.  Be honest.  If you cannot handle a child with a mental or physical impairment, admit it.  It doesn't make you a bad person, it just means you're being honest, and a mentally or physically impaired child would not flourish in your home, and you would be miserable.  No one wants the child or the foster parents to be unhappy.  So, be completely honest.  And think about the time commitment for special needs kids.  Will you be able to bring them to frequent doctor's appointments?  Even if the child is not special needs, you will need to be able to make doctor's appointments, to take off of work when the daycare calls.  These are some time considerations.  The state will pay for daycare if the foster parent(s) work 25 or more hours/week.  

    You will also have to go to the WIC office once every1-3 months for vouchers. I can't remember which.  This is especially important for babies on formula.  It is also a pain in the behind.  If you are supposed to get 32 jars of baby food, miscount and only get 31, you have to run all the way back to get the 32nd one.  Many times WIC approved items are not clearly marked.  Sometimes the children must accompany you to the WIC office.  And when I went shopping, with my Coach purse and iPhone and pulled out those vouchers, I could feel the judgment from the other shoppers.  Sometimes I wished I could turn around and shout, "I'm a foster mom."  But, of course, I didn't.  I never drew attention to that fact when our first girls were around.  I didn't want them to feel different.

    Our first placements were two little girls--2 years and 2 months.  They came to our home one evening and were immediately put in the bathtub to be all cleaned up.  I'm not going to get into why they were in care, except to say they were neglected. 

    We were required to meet at the DCFS office once a week so the girls could meet with their birth parents and other sibling.  At first it was for one hour.  Then the parents separated and the visits were two hours long.  I started hanging out at the library during their visits, so I wouldn't be stressed out, dealing with a stressed out 2 year old.  Then the mom started not showing up.  Or she would show up 19 minutes late.  You see, we had to wait 20 minutes, and if she didn't show up, we could leave.  I know she thought she was "sticking it" to DCFS, but all she was really doing was only seeing her girls for 40 minutes instead of an hour.  And you will witness the heartbreak of a hopeful two year old who looked out the window for their mother every time they hear a car door slam, only to sit back down in defeat when it wasn't her.  After the 3rd time of being 19 minutes late, the social worker on the case told us to go and had a chat with the mom.  It got better for a time, but then she just stopped showing up.  After a few no-shows, we were no longer required to go to DCFS for her hour.  

     Bill Clinton passed a law while in office that stated that children should only remain in state custody for 18 months.  And, in theory, it works.  In practice, not so much.  After 6 months, there is a review.     While the children were in state custody, the biological parent(s) are given a plan to follow and complete.  At six months, they look at how the parents are doing with their plans.  Some will follow their plans to the letter, take every class, do everything they possibly can to regain custody of their children.  At 12 months, there is a hearing.  At this hearing, the social workers tell the judge whether the state is still moving towards reunification or whether the goal is being changed to adoption.  Six months later, there is a final hearing where parental rights are either returned or terminated. Keep in mind, even if the goal was changed to adoption, the biological parents can still decide, during the last six months to work their plan and turn the goal back to reunification.  Now...this last hearing may take place exactly 18 months after the child was placed in care, but that rarely happens.  Court dates get postponed.  You may show up at court, with the social workers multiple times, only to wait hours and be told the child's case isn't going to be heard that day.  It is excruciating.  Especially when you're waiting on a termination hearing.  Because the adoption cannot happen before the termination of the biological parents' parental rights.

        Depending on the parish, if the biological parents are in jail, visits are not ordered.  In the parish we were residing in, the judge was adamant that children not be brought to visitations at jail.  She did not want jail to be normalized.  But they will bring those parents to court dates and will hold visits there.  You will get to know your homecare worker.  Ours is now retired and a FB friend.  So are two of our former social workers, both of whom are working to better the system.    

    During the time before the reunification or adoption takes place, the state gives foster parents board payments.  This is to cover the costs of food, diapers, wipes, etc.  Many factors go into deciding how much is paid to the foster parents.  If a foster child with a disability is adopted, they are able to stay on state insurance until they are adults or the family moves out of state.  

    Once an adoption takes place, another birth certificate is issued with the adoptive parents' names in place of the birth parents.  You can change, and it is recommended to do so, the child's social security number.  

    Now, this is where my opinion comes into play.  Once adopted, unless the child is a different race, the adoption story is no longer yours to tell.  It is the child's.  Kids are cruel.  We all know that.  Labeling a child as an adoptive child is begging for them to get bullied.  Particularly in a state adoption, which typically has very different circumstances surrounding the child--the child is removed from care versus a birth mother making an adoption plan and picking out her child's parents.  State adoptions are very different from private adoptions.   And when telling your child about how they came to be yours, it's not rainbows and unicorns, like it may be for others.  

    Adopted is a verb.  Don't use it as an adjective.  And if you have to refer to your child as your adoptive child, and yourself as your child's adoptive parent, you probably shouldn't have gone through with the adoption, because you're looking at it all wrong.  The minute that the judge decrees the adoption is finalized, that child is YOUR child.  You are parents.  You are Mom or you are Dad.  It kills me when kids are referred to as someone's adopted child.  Particularly when the child may or may not know they were adopted as is sometimes the case when they are the same race and/or look similarly to their parents and the rest of their family.  

    DCFS adoptions are not expensive at all, financially.  Emotionally, however, you're going to be on a roller coaster.  And so are the children.  Do everything you can to make them feel part of your family, just like any biological kids that you have.  Calling them "adopted" is not the way to do that.  Let them share it on their own time and to whomever they want.  It's no longer just your story.  It's theirs, too. How you became a family is no one's business except your family's.  You don't walk around shouting about how you became a mom via C-section or IVF or the natural way.  Why would you announce that your child is adopted?

    **Note:  This is one of the best books about adoption I've ever read.  The actress from My Big Fat Greek Wedding wrote it after adopting her daughter through DCFS in her state: Instant Mom

Sing On Review

Sing On Review

-Nicola Johnson

 

                Sing On is a new reality game show hosted by Tituss Burgess, most famous for his role of Titus Andromedon on The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. In Sing On Burgess brings his charisma and vocal talents to a new vocal talent show that mixes The Weakest Link with singing. 

                Season 1 was released with only 8 episodes on September 16, 2020, a bright spot in a dreadful year.  Each fast-paced episode consists of 6 singers of vastly different backgrounds competing to win a possible $60,000.  After the opening song, each of the round begins with a song from the game’s theme.  The singers are judged by a vocal analyzer that will look familiar to anyone who has played any karaoke game on the likes of PlayStation, Nintendo, or Xbox.  For each correct note, the singers earn money to add to the bank the winner will walk away with.  The singer who was most accurate is automatically saved.  Then, here comes the part that is reminiscent of The Weakest Link, the players vote out one player.  The twist is that only the home audience knows which singers were most accurate and therefore banked the most or least amount of money.  They have to choose between those they think are real competition and those who they think were the least accurate and thus kept the bank from growing.  The player saved is the first to vote, and they enter their votes prior to revealing them, so there is no changing the votes once cast.  When there is a tie, the least accurate singer is the one who leaves the game.  There is also a “Titus Prize,” given for the best performance, regardless of their singing score.

The first two rounds can earn the winner up to $10,000, depending on how accurately they sing. The third and fourth songs are worth up to $20,000.  After the six original singers are whittled down to 3, voting is over, and the lowest scoring player is automatically eliminated. During this round, each singer is also given a “golden note.”  If they hit their “golden note,” the singer banks themselves $1000. With two singers left, there are two songs left.  The first one is to decide who gets to pick the final round song.  The contestant with the highest percentage picks the song to end the show.  Interestingly enough, Burgess reveals that the singers are not singing in any particular order.  They have to watch for their names.  Consequently, many first lyrics are missed.  The contestants consistently eliminate each other with grace and poise.  With 48 contestants over 8 episodes, their kindness is what makes this game show different from any others this writer has ever seen.

With themes like Party Playlist, Love Songs, 80s Mixtape, and Summer Anthem, there is enough variety for any music aficionado.  The show is highly entertaining, the game is fast paced and attention-catching without being full of cutthroat drama.  I definitely recommend giving Sing On a chance and hope Netflix extends this show or brings back another 8 episodes in season two, although I do wish Netflix shows would come with the standard 20-22 episodes/per season, instead of the much lower number Netflix is fond of creating.    

Mulan 2020

Mulan 2020 Review

-Nicola Johnson

 

                Like many Disney fans, I could not wait for the promised live-action feature of Mulan.  The movie, originally slated for release in theaters in February 2020, was pushed back to July 2020, and when theaters were not reopened, was finally released in September on Disney+ as a Premier Access release.  As a Disney+ member, I factored in how much it would cost to see Mulan in the theater, bit the bullet, and purchased Premier Access. My 11-year-old daughter and I snuggled up and prepared to watch the live-action version of my favorite Disney role model. 

                The first notable difference between Mulan 2020 and the original was the lack of the musical component.  While there were instrumental hints of the well-loved songs carefully crafted for the original, the live-action movie had no singing actors, but the lack of vocals did not take away from the movie at all. 

                What did take a little away from movie was the lack of several characters from the original.  First, the cricket was removed entirely.  The spider that replaced the cricket in the matchmaker scene just did not do it justice.  Also, noticeably missing was Little Brother, replaced by an actual little sister.  When the animated feature came out, Disney likely went with Mulan as an only child due to China’s current one child per family policy.  However, during the period in which Mulan likely lived, that policy had not yet been enacted.  With Mulan 2020 Disney remained true to the history of China in that respect. 

                The one character that was most missed was the provider of comic relief with impeccable timing, the dragon protector Mushu.  Mushu, played by the extraordinary comic Eddie Murphy, was the one element Disney should have strongly considered keeping in the live action version.  He was replaced, somewhat, by a phoenix, which was an interesting choice.  According to Brittanica.com, in Chinese culture the phoenix is an omen foretelling harmony at the ascent to the throne of the new emperor.  In Mulan, however, she is protecting the current emperor.  We really missed Mushu. 

                Overall, we very much enjoyed Mulan 2020, and very much approved of the change in Mulan’s love interest, addition of her younger sister, and the flawless performance of its star Liu Yifei as Fa Mulan.  I simply cannot wait to see what the Chinese-American actress does next. 

Enola Holmes Review

Enola Holmes Review

-Nicola Johnson

 

                As a fan of Millie Bobbi Brown’s work in the Netflix Science Fiction phenomenon Stranger Things, I was very excited when I started seeing previews for the latest Netflix production featuring Miss Brown, Enola Holmes.  I was not disappointed. 

                Featuring Millie Bobbi Brown as the titular character, the cast is made up of a host of familiar faces.  Sam Claflin, who typically plays romantic leads, was almost unrecognizable as the notoriously uptight older brother of Sherlock Holmes.  As Mycroft, Claflin delivers a seamless performance, leaving his leading man persona behind in favor of the standoffish eldest Holmes sibling.  Playing the notable detective Sherlock Holmes, Henry Cavill takes away the peculiarities the famed detective is known for, replacing them with obvious fondness and gentility towards his younger sister.  Helena Bonham-Carter rounds out the Holmes’ family as the matriarch whose disappearance pulls Enola into an amazing adventure, despite her brothers’ disapproval. 

                Enola breaks the legendary fourth wall, speaking directly to the audience, imparting much needed background to this new character, Sherlock’s 20 years younger sister. Enola was first mentioned in 2006 in a YA series written by American author Nancy Springer. The movie has a host of producers, including none other than Millie Bobbie Brown.

                A carefully crafted mystery within a mystery, shortly after Enola embarks on her mission to find her mother, she finds herself caught in the middle of a second adventure when a runaway slides into her train car.   Enter Louis Partridge playing Twekesbury, otherwise known as the Missing Marquess.  Partridge gives an amazing performance, holding his own with Brown.  Twekesbury also holds his own with Enola.  She decides to help him stay hidden. The actors play off each other brilliantly, and the characters inspire a “who’s saving who?” mentality, as they morph into partners. 

                One more familiar face is Fiona Shaw as the villainous Miss Harrison, head mistress of the finishing school Mycroft Holmes is insistent that Enola attend.  Shaw makes her characters easy to hate, which, in this writer’s humble opinion is the trademark of a great actor.  Hate is a strong emotion, and from Shaw’s performance in True Blood and Harry Potter to Enola Holmes, she consistently manages to inspire strong feelings from her audience.

                Enola Holmes proves that Netflix productions continue to impress and adds to their growing library of notable films and series.  However, the best part of Enola Holmes is that it followed the first of Nancy Springer’s series about the sixteen-year-old detective, who gives her elder and legendary sibling a run for his money.  Sherlock Holmes may have, at last, met his match with his clever, much younger sister.  And I hope Netflix continues working with this all-star cast to bring all of Ms. Springer’s books about Enola to the screen.  As always, Netflix has produced a film that leaves its viewers wanting for more.

               

Godzilla 1998 Review

 

Godzilla 1998

-Nicola Johnson

 

When Godzilla entered the disaster-era movie scene of the late 90s/early 00s, it was almost guaranteed to be a blockbuster hit.  Instead, the content of the movie landed it squarely in the land of The  Worst Movies Ever.

What makes a movie a good movie?  It has a great plot, actions make sense, and number one, it has to be possible, if not even remotely plausible.  This is where Godzilla fails royally.

First, the monster is simply too big to exist on Earth.  For whatever reason, Godzilla appears, seemingly out of the depths of the unexplored ocean for no reason whatsoever.  The opening scene features iguanas, and the theory of how Godzilla came to be is that he is an overgrown radioactive iguana.  The island of the iguanas appears to be in the South Pacific.  Then we move to Japan, where we see the work the giant did on a Japanese shipping boat. 

Naturally, the powers that be immediately recruit a biologist famous for studying earthworms that were exponentially bigger 12 years after the Chernobyl explosion.  They. Get. A. Worm. Expert.  They don’t find the world’s leading herpetologist.  Nope they go recruit Dr. Niko Tatopoulos, an expert in invertebrates that live underground.  Played by Matthew Broderick, Dr. Tatopoulos is as inept as one would think a biologist studying earthworms would be in the situation with an extraordinary-sized lizard. 

When Godzilla make an appearance in New York City, the audience is left to marvel exactly how quickly the monster was able to get from Japan to New York.  An evacuation is called, and the military is called in.  Not only do the writers make the United State military look completely incompetent, with the exception of Doug Savant’s Sergeant O’Neal, the soldiers act like complete idiots. 

Just when you want the monster to be destroyed, he leans down and meets Dr. Tatopoulos face to muzzle…and then walks away, showing that Godzilla just may not be a bloodthirsty monster after all.  Halfway through the movie we find out that not only is Godzilla not bloodthirsty, she is pregnant.  But, since there is only the one monster, how is that even possible?  The writers used the idea of a mutated iguana as the basis for Godzilla.  However, iguanas do not reproduce asexually, as explained by Broderick’s character.  He also explains that the reason she traveled from Japan to NYC is to nest…

First, there are many animals who can reproduce asexually, including an actual lizard.  Whiptail lizards are all born female, but they reproduce.  It seems like the writers of Godzilla could have done a tiny bit of research and chose a lizard that was not an iguana.  But, then again, that would require a herpetologist to be on set, a much-needed factor that was missing everywhere in this movie. 

Then there was the unnecessary French component that featured Jean Reno, playing his usual stereotypical role of the smoking French agent. 

When Dr. Tatopoulos announces that Godzilla may have laid eggs somewhere in the city was one of the most incredible statements the worm-expert made.  Since when do lizards migrate from a very warm climate like the South Pacific to the very cold and rainy New York City?  And why would a lizard, whose eggs need to incubate, lay her eggs in the air-conditioned Madison Square Garden arena? Because eggs apparently incubate faster in cold are, possibly?

Not particularly fond of Matthew Broderick, save for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and adult Simba in 1994’s The Lion King, he proved to be the awful, unconvincing actor expected of him. 

Overall, the movie was horrible.  The lizard was too huge, showed compassion that made one wish there was some place on Earth she and her eggs could be relocated to, but unfortunately, they were all destroyed. As the movie ended the audience waited with bated breath as, predictably so, one egg remained untouched, leaving room for a sequel. 

 

Louisiana Girls Go North

Last week one of my cousins got married in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.  When I first heard the news that he was getting married there, I was so excited.  I've wanted to go to Eureka Springs since my co-worker told me he had done an internship at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (TCWR).  It opened in 1992 and is home to several big cats, two coatimundis, one primate, and at least 4 bears.  But, the best part of TCWR is that they offer overnight lodging, with prices comparable to hotels in the area.  

The Zulu Lodge area is adults-only.  It is set away from the other lodging and has a hot tub and a covered area with a firepit.  Every unit has a balcony off the back, because even if you're staying a Wildlife Refuge, you're still in the Ozarks, and the views are breathtaking. 

All of the other lodging is family-friendly, and the Siberian and Bengal suites even allow pets.  It is important to mention that pets are not allowed anywhere other than the area immediately around the lodging.  They cannot go into the gated area or on the tours.  Only service animals are allowed on the tours. 

The Treehouse Bungalow is probably where I would stay if we go again.  It does have an age restriction.  Children must be at least 5 years old.  The bungalow is 15 feet up and is directly across fom one of the tiger's night area.  We walked by right before bedtime and she was out and about.  

We chose to stay in the Tigris tent, next to its twin the Bam Bam Bungalow.  These two are best described as glamping.  It's an army tent on a platform.  The Tigris has a bunk bed, a queen-sized bed, a mini-fridge, a table and chairs (inside, as well as on the porch), a coffee pot (Keurig-style), and a large selection of teas and sweeteners.  The fridge was stocked with juice boxes, muffins, and water bottles.  The tents are air conditioned and have ceiling fans and stand alone fans and space heaters.  

They warn you that the tents will be hot during the day and suggest exploring Eureka Springs.  When we got back from dinner, around 7:30 PM, it was still warm inside but it was cooling off outside.  We sat on the porch and watched the sunset (both tents face west).  Then we chased fireflies, sat by the small pond between the tents, and debated over whether or not to use the fire pit (we didn't).  By the time we tuned in for the night, the room was bordering on cold, and it stayed nice and chilly all night.  The only "roughing it" part of glamping at TCWR was that the bathroom was shared by both tents.  It was a bit hot in the bathroom, but it wasn't bad.  And it was about 10 feet away from our door.  They go all out on the safari décor from the lodging to the bathroom.  

While sitting on the front "porch" of the tent, we saw several rabbits and a couple squirrels.  Then the big cats started "caroling," and it was magical.  One we were in the tent with the air and fan on, the lion and tiger calls were muffled and did not disturb our sleep.  In fact, the bed was very comfortable and we slept like rocks.  

When you are a lodging guest, TCWR treats you like a VIP.  There are gates that only employees and lodging guests are allowed through.  The tours are included in your room cost, and you can go on as many as you want.  With your room you also get a trolley ride (we did not do this).  We went to the 4PM tour.  It was very informative, and our guide shared the animals' rescue stories.  There is also a self-guided discovery area where you may catch a glimpse of a black bear (they have 3 acres), cougars, bob cats, tigers, and, our favorite, a grizzly named Bam Bam. 

The rates for the Zulu Lodge, the Bengal and Siberian suites, and the Treehouse Bungalow range from $175-210, depending on when you are staying.  The Tigris Tent and Bam Bam Bungalow are $125/night, and there are a few RV spaces for $65/night.  *All of these prices reflect 2 guests. The family-friendly lodging allows up to 4 guests, but it is an additional $20/guest, even if that guest is a child.  

Overall, it was a great experience, and I am glad we did it.  Even if you don't want to do the tour, the novelty of the cats calling and the gorgeous mountain views make TCWR an amazing place to stay in Eureka Springs.  I just want an attached bathroom next time. :-)

After our night at TCWR and doing the discovery tour in the morning, we headed to Ozark Mountain Ziplines in Eureka Springs.  From the call to reserve our spots to the ride back from ziplining, the customer service was absolutely amazing.  You can book online and pay in advance, but if you call, they let you know there is a cash discount.  And, for 3 people, it ended up saving us around $20, if not more.  Kids under 12 are discounted, as well.  Our tour guides were David and Skylar.  David stayed at the far end of the line, guiding us to a safe landing, and Skylar sent us off.  Both were very good with both the adults and the kids.  We even had a small six-year-old in our group who got to ride with both of them.  We highly recommed this experience.  One of the 10 ziplines was the highest in Arkansas.  I will admit that I was nervous all the way to the first line.  They got progressively higher and longer as we went. One really cool thing about this experience is that we didn't have to hike or climb to any of the platforms.  We were driven to the first, and then to the last three.  I think the farthest we had to "hike" was less than 50 feet.  

In between all of our adventures, we were able to explore Eureka Springs.  The painted steps were beautiful in person.  The mega mocha blended coffee at The Daily Roast was amazing.  From a recommendation by Skylar at Ozark Mountain Ziplines, we ate lunch at Thai House.  It was really good. A hidden gem we found East By West whose resident bunnies help give customers change.  When they're not working, you can find Gumbo and Sushi hanging out, ready for pets.  It was definitely a unique experience. 

The morning of the wedding we decided to check out Float Eureka.  We rented three kayaks for a half day and took the shuttle to the White River.  Even though we road with a bunch of other people and groups, this was honestly the best family time we had.  We were all inexperienced.  And we all managed not to end up in the water.  The water itself was around 45 degrees Fahrenheit.  It was just short of painful to dip our hands in, and was absolutely painful to step in.  However, it was exactly the right temperature for the paddle to dribble into the kayak while sitting under the direct sun.  Because of the temperature difference between the water and the air, there was a nice breeze when it got just a little too hot.  It was absolutely the perfect summer day activity.  The only bad part of the trip was when my daughter got stung by a bee.  Now why the bee decided the seat of her kayak was the place to land, I have no idea.  But her thigh threatened to squish him, so he stung her.  While we were in the middle of the White River.  Thankfully, a family canoeing nearby offered a menthol cigarette to help the sting.  Whether this really works or not, I'm not sure, but she did stop screaming and crying after we applied it to the site of the sting.  

Dear "Miss" Queens

This is going to be different from my normal posts.  It's still about travel and still about the great state of Louisiana, but in a slightly different vein.

Dear Miss Queen,

When you won your title, you were likely filled with a euphoria that cannot be compared. You know who else felt that euphoria, the little queens of your court.  They watched you being crowned, watched as the mantle and train were placed upon your shoulders, and watched as you waved to you adoring crowd.

Do you remember watching your first "Miss" queen being crowned?

In the majority of Louisiana Fairs and Festivals, there are children's pageants as well as a pageant for older girls.  Some of these little girls are doing it for fun, some are pushed by their mothers, and some are doing it to experience the unique fairs and festivals of Louisiana, to find the one or two that will stay in their hearts forever.

Sadly few fairs and festivals include their little queens in activities past the pageant.  It is, understandably, a very lucrative festival fundraiser.  To the fairs and festivals that do include their little royalty, that make private FB groups, and whose "Miss" queen takes an active role in reaching out to her court, I say, "You are awesome.  You realize the potential of your young royalty, and you know that the impression you make on them is lasting."

You were once that young, impressionable, six, eight, or 10-year-old girl.  You once saw the beautiful girl get crowned.  You wanted to be her.  Now you are her, and you have little girls who want to be YOU.  You have your own built-in fan club.

I get it.  Not everyone is a kid person, particularly for the tiny, tiny queens.  Not everyone wants to deal with pageant moms (I really try my best not to be a stereotypical pageant mom. I promise!).  But this is not about them.  It's about the girls who are on the cusp of finding out who they are, who are starting to form opinions of their own, and who are defining their own personalities.  YOU can have an active role in their lives.  And, as their "Miss" queen, you should.

You are not just an ambassador for your festival.  You are a role model.  And you probably relish being a role model, because if you didn't, you wouldn't be a festival queen.

If you take away nothing else from this, please, please do the following:  know their faces, know their names.  Smile when you see them (you are important to them!).  Include them when you can.  Treat them like your little sisters.  Let their enthusiasm bolster you.  Help them be the best little queens they can be.  They want to be just like you one day.  Be worthy of that.