Week one: breakfast, and all the rest.

Talking to our kids, talking to each other, looking forward.

Oh, friends. What a week. It’s snowing here. I made photos with our friends at Dawnbreaker Farms to welcome their new sweetheart. We FINALLY celebrated Chanukah and my sibling made this salad to go with the latkes and we listened to this song, which our grandma loved, and which felt really resonant this month. And then… the rest of it.

I’m excited to build out this newsletter as a place of joy, affirmation, and advocacy for children and childhood, which means I’m not going to dig deep right now into the regime change this week, or what it means to me. There is plenty of good writing about that.

I do want to share, however, a big decision I recently made about my relationship to Meta platforms, because it’s a big deal to me, and I’m hoping to share things HERE that I typically would have THERE. As usual, always grateful for your thoughts and insight as I make that shift.

Each week, I’m hoping to reach out to share some good things I’m enjoying, some actions items around children’s rights, some prompts for documenting this kids in your life, and maybe a few photos I’ve taken recently. Let’s see how it goes!

First, soup. This one is very tasty, and great for variations. I added feta to the topping and kale and fennel to the base. I bet you could do a veggie version with mushroom stock.

Next, muffins. We muffin-ize this pumpkin bread at least once a week around here. Deb is queen. Not the one for you if you don’t do a lot of sugar, but I love sugar, so.

If you were wondering what the best lip goo/face grease is according me, it’s this. I smear it on my kids liberally before school, and also myself.

I find myself returning this week to the child portraiture of Alice Neel. I think it’s because she depicted kids are so RAW and STEELY, and my big comfort this week is reminding myself of how TOUGH kids are, and how fun and crucial it is to help them cultivate that toughness. Our cubs will ROAR! Our yearlings will headbutt!

After I shared this stunning poem by Joy Harjo last week, my brilliant friend (who also happens to be the kids book buyer for The Regulator Bookshop), reminded me that there is a PICTURE BOOK OF IT, illustrated by the amazing Michaela Goade, whose work my kids and I adore. It’s too beautiful for words.

As for an action item, I invite you to explore the work of the Young Center for Immigrant Childrens’ rights. They are tireless and wise advocates for the safety and wellbeing of young folks, especially those who migrate to the US unaccompanied, just as my own great grandparents did as preteens. I’ll be looking to their leadership in the next hard four years. I photographed their offices in the Rio Grande Valley during the last Trump Administration, and I trust their strategy and perspective now and always.

Lastly! A little kid-interviewing activity. Get your kid to take a photo of their breakfast one day this week (using your phone or their own camera) and ask them to narrate or write a caption for it. Just ask them to describe what they see. Do not prompt them. Do not ask for follow ups. We want to make this easy! If more happens, more happens. Tuck this photo and caption away, maybe in a dedicated document? We’ll use it later.

I love y’all. I love your children more.

In hope,

Anna