Please take the time to watch this, or go to http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/hisownwords to read the speech.
This is why Barack Obama is my candidate.
Archive for March, 2008
Birthday Funk
I turned 29 last week. Now, the actual adding a year to my life doesn’t bother me. Check back next year on that account …
The funk sneaks up on me. Has for three birthdays now. I’m slow to learn, I guess. I think that subconsciously I hope to see my dad pull up to wish me happy birthday … or to call to say how proud he is of me. It isn’t like I actually believe those options are possible. He’s dead, thank you very much. I just don’t think my soul has accepted this truth in its entirety yet.
Two years ago, I had emptied my life of much of the outside joy I enjoyed absorbing : listening to music, reading, dancing, singing, writing … Those essential elements have gradually made their way back into my being, but they seem to always get lost around my birthday. I become a mocus mess and it is only by the love of my husband that I find my footing, turn on some music, and dance with my kids.
My birthday should be my opportunity to spend the day thanking the two people who gave me life. I guess when this day approaches, I sometimes wish I could share my thanks with two living, breathing individuals. Thanking my mom seems half-done. Mission half-accomplished. Such a raw feeling.
And then the fog starts to lift. And I can compose this, send it out into the ether, and know that the haze will be even less dense tomorrow.
Gross Grooming
I have a sickness.
I love cradle-cap. I adore boogers. I crave the milk crust that can collect behind the ears. I swoon for toe goo. I am a fan of infant neck cheese. And I can’t resist bits of ear wax.
When the kids were itty-bitties, I would say, “God must love me. A child with cradle-cap! I have been blessed!!” I considered it time well-spent if I had ”worked” on the scalp that day. I also took great pleasure in scooping out the neck cheese after a particularly messy feeding. Milk crust behind the ears is something I still get to enjoy as my 13 month old still suffers from the crust. I look forward to clipping fingernails and toe nails … offering me a chance to dig the jam out from between their toes. Yes, I still attack my seven-year-old, poor guy! Boogers offer me particular pleasure as I get to utilize my favorite grooming accessory, the cotton swab. Almost nothing gives me such satisfaction as my successful extraction of a ball of slime, or a particularly challenging set of wicker furniture of the nostrils. But the thing that will have me committed is my obsession with ear wax. I specifically leave my pinkie fingernail a bit longer so that I can dig out the stubborn flecks caught in the ear hairs. [I believe this can be traced back to my junior high school band director. May the gods bless his genius ... but man, as first-chair clarinet, I had to spend a lot of time checkin' out his ear gunkus. A.LOT. Yick.] And here’s the kicker … I don’t stop at the kids. Yep. I attack my poor husband. Go ahead, puke in your mouth a little bit. Even I shake my head and ask aloud, “WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS CHICK??”
I am a gorilla. Next thing you know, I’ll turn my face to the heavens and ask for head-lice so I can mess with the nits …
Let’s hope not.
Arches National Park
Three things I love:
1. My husband being post-call and – having slept a handful of hours – suggesting we climb in the van and head out!
2. National Parks Pass (Thank you Mommy!!)
3. Making memories with our children
This post will likely look like it repeats itself in 5 weeks when we take a journey to Arches with my mom and my in-laws. However, I know I have a sister-in-law who would appreciate this bit of news, so I’m going ahead with it. Also, if you are reading this, aforementioned sister-in-law: PLEASE COME WITH US! We’d love to see you.
We used this opportunity to scope out Arches and figure out how best to structure our future adventure. With several fantastic hiking trails that are catered to young children … and then a few MUST-SEEs … I think we have a good grasp on what to focus on in April.
Great Hikes for Kids:
(Determined 1 year old toddler being the focus … she MUST walk herself and wasn’t keen on the backpack today.)
Sand Dune Arch
Skyline Arch
MUST-SEEs:
Delicate Arch
Landscape Arch
Parade of Elephants
The Windows and Turret Arch
Now, if I had a digital camera, I would include a few shots of our “rehearsal trip”. Alas, I do not. I do hope to add one to the family by the end of this month — just in time for our April Arches trip! We’ll see what we are able to pack in …
Fumbling with Technology
Wow. I have even greater respect for those few women whose blogs I’ve read. I don’t know how to do this!
