And I thought it was just a Pencil Holder!

Since Jeremy has homework everyday this year (still getting used to that!!), I quickly realized that I needed a bigger pencil/crayon holder. So, I went to one of my favorite stores over on Ikoyi, Ethnikologie, and found this really cute little pail. I thought it was so cut,e and I loved the African huts on it.:) The other night, Jeremy was coloring a picture, and I heard Happiness talking to him from the other room. He asked her what the ladies were doing in the picture.  I heard her telling Jeremy that they were making pounded yam, and that it was a lot of work for them to pound the yam . "It takes a long time." she said.  Then, Jeremy asked who they were.  She proceeded to tell him that one was the senior wife and one was the junior wife.  I was waiting for him to ask about that, but nothing came up.  Score for me...awkward conversation diverted!!!!  I am still getting my head wrapped around the fact that some Yoruba men do actually have more than one wife, and the other wives know about it and it is perfectly fine with them.  I don't want to sound ethnocentric, but it is still something which blows me away in that culture.  It really isn't a big deal for a Yoruba man to have more than one wife!!!



Then, he wanted to know what the girl was doing. Happiness told him it was either another wife or a daughter of the husband who was cooking a stew...( Still good, he didn't ask anything!)

While the father/husband was sleeping in the hut waiting for his meal to be served to him...

Okay, so I had no idea all of this could be derived from this "cute little pail" I bought.  I got a social studies lesson ( along with a lesson in the set back of women's liberation) along with the pail. And I thought it was just a pencil holder!!!!