Yes we can

Here's to an exciting four years. I hope it lives up to all our expectations.

Inauguration

By the way, my cousin Will is going to be playing the trumpet during the inauguration. Check out his post about it. Go Team Dean! Moving stuff.

Get out the vote

Bjorn has gotten active in the Obama campaign. It's great because it means he's not in the house arguing politics with me. The strange thing is we have people coming to our house as a meeting point every Saturday and Sunday to go canvassing, meaning they go door to door asking people who they plan to vote for and trying to help the undecided make up their minds. The whole process has been rather fascinating, talking to the campaign people and hearing what really goes on. I've never lived in a state that was in play so to speak during a presidential election so it's very exciting seeing all the local activity for a national election for a change.

Andy and Meg are LOVING this process. It gives them a steady stream of people coming by the house all weekend telling them how adorable and cute they are. Andy in particular loves having young college aged women around to play soccer with him and flirt with. When the campaign is over, I think we're all going to miss all the activity.

There have been some bizarre gems being this close to the campaign trail, too. Like today, three boys from Woodson High School were canvassing and a lady answered the door and told them they were all going to hell. I get saying that to Bjorn, but three kids getting credit for government class?

Oh, and P.S. Bjorn's pneumonia is improving, thanks for asking. He still hacks a good bit, but not like before and the flop sweat a la Broadcast News is improving, too. Thanks for asking.

P.P.S. I guess this photo doesn't speak for itself. It's one of the organizers camped in our carport with signs, folders, etc. that she gives to volunteers to go canvassing.

Germaphobe

As you know, I'm not a particularly neat person. My desk and house both show that clutter doesn't really bother me. Things are clean, just never particularly organized. But with both kids showing a penchant for liking to get sick in the summer when supposedly kids are healthier, I am launching an all out war.

I am strategically placing hand sanitizers throughout the house and I am making an extra effort with Andy (and with Bjorn to work on him, too) to make sure we wash hands a lot. I am making an effort as well to put Meg's plastic toys in the dishwasher ever few days and wipe down her toys more often. It may not ultimately do any good, but it makes me feel better to know I'm doing something.

Meanwhile, here's a picture of both kids smiling at the same time. I then tried to zoom in and couldn't get either of them making a normal face at the same time. I will be grateful for these because I can envision that in a few short months Andy will have figured out how to pinch his sister just in time to make her cry for the camera.

After thinking about Sarah Palin being vice-president, I have decided it doesn't matter. No one ever asks a man, "But who will look after the children?" I can't personally imagine undertaking what she's undertaking, but that's her business, not mine. Now, does that make me get over her being pro-life, anti-gay and a creationist? Not so much.

Wow

So once I got past saying, "He picked who?" when I heard who John McCain named Sarah Palin as his running mate, I did a little reading up. Her crazy political views aside (a creationist? Really? People in this day and age really believe evolution doesn't exist...at all?), I am amazed that a woman with five kids, the youngest of whom is four-months-old, is running for vice-president. Props to her. I have trouble enough getting to the grocery store with only two kids, but five? Wow. I totally believe that a woman who has raised five kids is probably more equipped to run a country than most people. Imagine the kind of multitasking and ability to focus on the big picture you would have to have if you had a big family.

I do find myself being a little sexist about the whole thing, which surprises me since I really support working mothers and the choices they have to make. Sure, I wouldn't think it too odd if a man with a big family and a special-needs baby at home was running for such a big position, but somehow a woman doing it feels different somehow. It just seems like this kind of politics is such a 24/7 job that I don't see how there would be time for anything else. I wasn't a fan of Hillary, but at least her kid was grown. I don't know...I need to think more on this.