Seeing Red

What do water hoses, blue trains, and Spanish explorers all have in common? If you guessed they can all be found in Eli's mouth at any given time, you're a winner!  Tell them what they've won, Mommy..  Well, friends, you've won a partially-funded Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina trip to the ER! Thank you, lead poisoning, and thank you China. 

Before you panic, no one here has had any symptoms of lead poisoning, thanks entirely to the grace of our most loving God.  It's not because we have the right water hose and own only completey wholesome, incredibly expensive, non-China toys. And it's certainly not because our children are perfect examples of politeness, exhibiting only acceptable societal behaviors.  To this day, everything Eli sees goes in his mouth. I am still performing the fingersweep multiple times a day.  While for the most part we stick to classic, wooden toys, we did have one Dora toy that found its way into the trashcan last night. 

Like all of America, we've been making a habit of checking labels, adding an extra half hour to every grocery store errand.  We don't buy anything with partially hydrogenated oil.  We know high fructose corn syrup tastes great, but it might just kill us. Trans-fats are a no-go.  Because we care, because we love our children and want to do right by them, we take the time to read and buy responsibly.  Since we don't buy foods that are potentially harmful to our bodies, why do we insist on supporting China's lead-tainted toy production, knowing well that these will also end up in someone's little, innocent mouth? We won't give our kids a real fruit roll-up or a not-so-real chicken nugget, but they can suck on Dora's face anytime they please.  Let's stop the double standard.  Read labels. All of them.  Buy American.  It just makes sense.