Fashion Statement

I struggle with fashion. I really do. I would venture to guess that this does not come as a shock to anyone who knows me. While most of the time I don't think I embarrass my children too much, I will admit that I don't have a knack for shoes, clothing, purses, jewelry, and hairstyles. I don't change purses to match outfits (I actually only own 1 purse and when it's broken or hopelessly out of style I'll replace it) and I have enough fingers to count every item in my jewelry lineup. I don't have a single bottle of nail polish, perfume makes me sneeze, and I don't love the mall. Obviously I'm missing some womanly gene. So, you might imagine my surprise when I recently was informed via the newspaper that Lyle and I have jumped onto the bandwagon of the hottest new trend.

A columnist in Pittsburgh says:
Call me cynical, but since when did Asian children become "must have" fashion accessories for upper middle-class Americans? Along with Calloway golf clubs and season tickets to football games, paying $30,000 to $40,000 to adopt an exotic baby is suddenly viewed as the most chic purchase this side of a pair of Manolo Blahnik pumps.

Seriously, this is what someone is putting in print. For the record, I've never heard of Manolo Blahnik pumps and wouldn't know a Blahnik if it kicked me in the shin. The cost of adoption that he's quoting is inaccurate and I can't help but bristle significantly when one of my children is referred to as a "chic purchase". I don't doubt that somewhere along the line someone has adopted for the wrong reasons. I would venture to guess though that the number of people who have conceived children for the wrong reasons greatly outnumbers those who are willing to go through numerous homestudies, reams of paperwork, background checks, and months or years of waiting to adopt a child only to love them as a trendy accessory.

The author ends his article by saying:
If people really wanted to adopt children because of a desire to become parents, they'd just adopt babies, not fashion statements.

Really, words escape me. And the irony of the whole thing is that Maya would object to my denial of her fashion statement status, because as the photo proves, she clearly IS a fashion statement. I guess what we're saying is up for debate.