I was a bit nervous about going to Thanksgiving, because my aunt who still wants to call me by my birth name and hasn't told her kids (so my cousins) about me is going to be there...anyway, my mom came downstairs and the conversation went something like this:

Mom: So are you coming today?
Me: Um...I don't know...I assumed I was expected to
Mom: Well, I don't want you to be uncomfortable. You don't have to feel like you have to come. If you don't, I can get some turkey and we can have a Thanksgiving dinner at home tomorrow. I've been thinking about this a lot anyway lately. Today I want to talk to her about all of this and see if we can have it resolved by Christmas. Because she really shouldn't be calling you "birth name."
Me: Well, it does look a little silly at this point to call someone who looks male by such a girly name.
Mom: That's not even the issue though, even if you looked more feminine, it's still too late in the process to pretend that you're still "her."
Me: I guess
Mom: I'm going to talk to her today, I'm going to tell her that if she doesn't want to tell her kids and start using the new name, that I will still see her and I won't abandon her, but that when it comes to family dinners, I will visit with everyone earlier in the day, and then we will have your other set of grandparents over at our house for dinner instead on Christmas.

My mommy loves me.  lol. The fact that she said "even if you looked more feminine we shouldn't call you by your old name" shows me that she's really working at understanding it.

That just goes to show you people. Keep your head high and eventually they will have to come around, if they love you.

Made a Spirit Bracelet for Spirit Day. Dare I wear it to work on the 17th, though?

@Caleb, your Mom has really come around, you are right she loves you. Brilliant and heart warming! You must be celebrating Thanksgiving early because Americans have it in the third week of November, right. We Canadians have Thanksgiving this weekend.

Cheers!

Jamie

Quote from: kabit on October 13, 2013, 03:45:42 PMMade a Spirit Bracelet for Spirit Day. Dare I wear it to work on the 17th, though?
[imagesnip]

Either I have to find my one purple T shirt, or buy a new one.

Quote from: kabit on October 13, 2013, 03:45:42 PM
Made a Spirit Bracelet for Spirit Day. Dare I wear it to work on the 17th, though?

Oooh, I should make something to wear for that.

Quote from: Willow on October 13, 2013, 04:02:10 PM
Either I have to find my one purple T shirt, or buy a new one.

For it being my favorite color... I had nothing purple to wear. Well... some maroon... and a purple tie that I haven't worn yet (I'm sure I'll have a chance to before I'm full time).

May go buy a purple sweatshirt or something.

Quote from: kabit on October 13, 2013, 04:20:31 PMFor it being my favorite color... I had nothing purple to wear. Well... some maroon... and a purple tie that I haven't worn yet (I'm sure I'll have a chance to before I'm full time).
May go buy a purple sweatshirt or something.

I wish it was just plain purple though. It was from my Spanish club in high school, and it had a llama asking "¿Cómo te llamas?" on it. So cheesy!

Quote from: Willow on October 13, 2013, 05:04:45 PM
I wish it was just plain purple though. It was from my Spanish club in high school, and it had a llama asking "¿Cómo te llamas?" on it. So cheesy!

No... that's AWESOME I had to look it up, though... Je m'appelle Tarah (living near Quebec we had French).

Quote from: kabit on October 13, 2013, 05:11:47 PMNo... that's AWESOME I had to look it up, though... Je m'appelle Tarah (living near Quebec we had French).

Well, je parle français aussi :p
Pickwd thay up living in Belgium for two years.
If I end up finding it and wearing it thurdsay I'll make that my before pic, just for you :p

Quote from: Willow on October 13, 2013, 05:29:02 PM
Well, je parle français aussi :p
Pickwd thay up living in Belgium for two years.
If I end up finding it and wearing it thurdsay I'll make that my before pic, just for you :p

I'm looking forward to it!!

I had 5 years of French. I can't speak any French. I also speak no Japanese or German. I love learning languages and I'm terrible at it, though I've picked up various phrases, words, and kanji and my pronunciation tends to be excellent. Unfortunately my favorite story is audible (we were looking for a McDonald's in Taiwan - I was able to ask for directions correctly). I also asked for directions well enough in Japan that an old lady started talking rapidly to me in Japanese... she ended up showing me the way (I was 1 block off).

I love how if anyone I know saw some of these anecdotes I'd be almost instantly outed... Good thing they don't visit transgender support sites. (Really, I mean: "too bad they don't visit...")

Quote from: Jamiep on October 13, 2013, 04:00:28 PM
@Caleb, your Mom has really come around, you are right she loves you. Brilliant and heart warming! You must be celebrating Thanksgiving early because Americans have it in the third week of November, right. We Canadians have Thanksgiving this weekend.

Cheers!

Jamie

Thanks Jamie. And no, it's not early for me because I am Canadian.

Quote from: kabit on October 13, 2013, 05:42:37 PMI'm looking forward to it!!
I had 5 years of French. I can't speak any French. I also speak no Japanese or German. I love learning languages and I'm terrible at it, though I've picked up various phrases, words, and kanji and my pronunciation tends to be excellent. Unfortunately my favorite story is audible (we were looking for a McDonald's in Taiwan - I was able to ask for directions correctly). I also asked for directions well enough in Japan that an old lady started talking rapidly to me in Japanese... she ended up showing me the way (I was 1 block off).
I love how if anyone I know saw some of these anecdotes I'd be almost instantly outed... Good thing they don't visit transgender support sites. (Really, I mean: "too bad they don't visit...")

I bought an app for learning Japanese as the first thing I ever bought of the iTunes store. I used it a lot the first year I had it, but then kind of forgot about it when iTunes wiped my iTouch when I got my own laptop about a year after that, so it ended up in oblivion. I only remember how to say Kitchen, dog, cat, and baseball, and how to introduce myself and say where I'm from. I'm much better with romance languages. I speak French and Spanish, and have an understanding of Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, and even Romanian.

Quote from: Willow on October 13, 2013, 07:37:55 PM
I bought an app for learning Japanese as the first thing I ever bought of the iTunes store. I used it a lot the first year I had it, but then kind of forgot about it when iTunes wiped my iTouch when I got my own laptop about a year after that, so it ended up in oblivion. I only remember how to say Kitchen, dog, cat, and baseball, and how to introduce myself and say where I'm from. I'm much better with romance languages. I speak French and Spanish, and have an understanding of Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, and even Romanian.

(A looong time ago) I was visiting Taiwan for work and attempted Chinese for a while (Pimsleur). It didn't work - they just can't understand me. I can repeat back a pronunciation perfectly right after I hear it, but I couldn't figure out how to read a pronunciation from the travel books.

Japan I visited on my own (on the way home from Taiwan). I used to play "go" (a board game from ancient China and Japan) so I was learning Japanese for that. I got to know a decent amount and could do business stuff (asking for directions, etc) and read from a travel phrasebook. From all the Go books I learned a decent amount of Japanese characters (which *did* help in China). Japanese is a pretty logical language - at least on the surface.

As an aside, I think there was a proud & out trans woman who played go and interacted on those forums w/ me... I wonder where she is now.

Quote from: kabit on October 13, 2013, 12:15:58 PM
Went out with my parents & kids. Everyone acted normally! There was a bit of tension, (I think... I felt it), but I still count that as a huge win! I was also invited for Thanksgiving & Christmas at their house... which is good (though we usually do Christmas breakfast here with everyone . . . so that's a change - but nothing terrible).

We're going to have to work it out with my 2bx-wife's side of the family too, and that may mean splitting up for some things, but at least it's something.

Two big, big worries lightened from my mind.

Its a big win for you.hopefully things will work out for you with wifes side of family.

Quote from: caleb. on October 13, 2013, 02:52:08 PM

My mommy loves me.  lol. The fact that she said "even if you looked more feminine we shouldn't call you by your old name" shows me that she's really working at understanding it.

That just goes to show you people. Keep your head high and eventually they will have to come around, if they love you.

She does, how totally cool is that! huh?

Quote from: kabit on October 13, 2013, 07:45:03 PM
(A looong time ago) I was visiting Taiwan for work and attempted Chinese for a while (Pimsleur). It didn't work - they just can't understand me. I can repeat back a pronunciation perfectly right after I hear it, but I couldn't figure out how to read a pronunciation from the travel books.

Japan I visited on my own (on the way home from Taiwan). I used to play "go" (a board game from ancient China and Japan) so I was learning Japanese for that. I got to know a decent amount and could do business stuff (asking for directions, etc) and read from a travel phrasebook. From all the Go books I learned a decent amount of Japanese characters (which *did* help in China). Japanese is a pretty logical language - at least on the surface.

As an aside, I think there was a proud & out trans woman who played go and interacted on those forums w/ me... I wonder where she is now.

Actually when I first saw your name I thought of Tenchi Myuo right off the bat. Because Ryuo-oki is a Cabbit.  Which is a Cat and a Rabbit.

Quote from: Miss Bungle on October 13, 2013, 09:18:35 PM
You weren't the only one that thought that.

Hehe.  Btw, did I tell you the Beaver is in a anime-inspired show?

Yay! Go Patriots! http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/gametracker/recap/NFL_20131013_NO@NE/patriots-stun-saints-on-td-with-five-seconds-left

$1.53

@Caleb, somehow I thought you lived in the states. Are you a transplanted Canadian? I didn't realize you are Canadian. Where did you live or are living if okay to ask?