I had privilege of treating her to her first concert experience, to see her favorite group, *NSYNC. Perhaps you are thinking she is a little too young for that... but, even after fact, I know it was best birthday present we could have given her.

I do not believe in sheltering my children. By this, I do not mean that I will be taking a preschooler to rated-R movies, or anything extreme like that. But what I do mean is that I can't be with my children around clock every day of week, and therefore they will see and experience things that I have no control over. For this reason, I would rather be by their side as they experience world, than try to shut door to world, and leave them unprepared for when someone opens it. If I teach them their morals and values, that their choices and opinions matter, then they will be better prepared to experience world. It is this parenting philosophy which leads me to let my children develop tastes for music outside of Raffi and Sesame Street, as they grow into their individuality.

Our roles have changed periodically throughout this time. When he was learning his shapes and colors, I was his teacher. When we took our first cross-country road trip, we were both students of world around us. And when I learned to stand up for myself and be strong enough to make my own choices, I was student as he taught me about life in his own subtle and abstract ways.