Yesterday Nathan and I were practicing Trick or Treat. I’d get him to hold out his little plastic pumpkin and then I’d drop a candy bar into it. He’d take it out, look at it, smile widely, and then hand it back to me. Rinse and repeat. Finally though he decided I wasn’t passing out the goods fast enough. He tossed his pumpkin on the floor and grabbed the bowl full of candy. He then proceeded to hold the bowl up high and dump the contents on the playroom floor. What happened next? Well, let’s just say he is my son; he threw himself down on the floor and rolled around in the chocolate. Finally, proof! After learning he despises cheese of any kind and would prefer a green bean to butter brickle ice cream, we finally have proof he is my own flesh and blood! Huzzah!
The actual Trick or Treating brought in exactly four pieces of candy. Two were given to Kori and I split the other two between Ella and Claire. Nathan was more interested in running down the street with his little puppy dog tail wagging or handing people back the candy they had just given him that there wasn’t really anything to do but exclaim over and over that we have the cutest child ever born. Ever.
And we are off!
I gots a peanut butter cup. I don't know what it is, but I gots it just the same.
I think I might be tired of this Halloween thing, please. Thank you.
I sat down tonight with our state’s Blue Book (Hi Jess & Kori!) and my ballot and voted. Phew. 18, that’s right EIGHTEEN, state initiatives seems a big excessive to me. And time consuming. I found myself wavering all over the political map. Down with greedy business! No handouts just for sake of handing it out! Labor unions bad! Education good! Oh, and get the hell out of my uterus!! I wish they included the “I voted” sticker in with my ballot. I miss my sticker.
I ordered Obama lawn signs several weeks ago. A few minutes after pressing the go button on the order my phone rang. I think that was the first call to the new house actually. It was the Obama campaign letting me know that the signs were back ordered. I asked for an ETA and she didn’t have one. I asked if they would be here before the election she laughed and said that it would be stupid to send them after everyone had voted. A long time went by. My credit card had been charged. I called the campaign and got the run around. I finally called the national office and said that while I didn’t mind making a donation - I really didn’t think I should get stiffed for the expedited shipping. They agreed and said there wasn’t anything they could do. So I called the credit card company. Three days later my signs showed up. An aside, my next door neighbor ordered her signs with regular shipping before I ordered mine and she STILL doesn’t have them. Long story long - getting my signs was expensive and a lot of work!
I gave my neighbor one of my signs and I proudly displayed the others in my front yard. Until last night. SOMEONE STOLE ONE OF MY SIGNS! Loser! And here is the kicker: had they just rang the bell and asked, I would have happily given it to them - just like I did for the kid tonight who was coming back from the Hilary Clinton rally. He was caught up in the excitement and the “history making” and thought he’d ring and see if I might part with one of the two signs in the yard. I told him he could have one as long as he made sure he, and everyone he knows, votes.
That other person? The one who just stole my sign in the middle of the night? You’re a loser!
It only fell for a little while, but a few minutes ago I saw the first snowflake of the season. I just happened to be outside pulling in the plants from the front porch and one flake fell right before my face. I looked around and soon more followed. Enough wee flakes that I was able to run back in the house and get David so he could see too. It seems to have stopped for now, but the first flake was magical.
Since I’m not there to do it, you’ll have to do it for me.
I have lost any and all respect I had for Rudy Giuliani before tonight. I need a shower.
To say that Nathan has become a bit of a picky eater would be the understatement of the year. The kid is so already in his Terrible Twos. This morning he actually made a face at his plate of homefreakingmade blueberry pancakes - with fresh blueberries! - and maple sausage. Then he started flinging things off his plate. So I took his plate away and we (David and I) finished breakfast. As I was putting Nathan’s plate in the dishwasher he started complaining by screaming. “Yeah, yeah. Life’s unfair so why don’t you go get yourself a cracker.” David immediately piped up that it was t-shirt worthy. Anything t-shirt worthy has got to be good enough to be my new motto. So away with “If your dog needs a new sweater then you need a new dog.“ From here forth my new personal motto is “Life’s unfair so why don’t you go get yourself a cracker.”
For the record Nathan did head over to the pantry, pull down the box of his favorite crackers and helped himself.
A few minutes ago David and I had the following conversation:
David: Why do we need a new web browser? Aren’t there enough browsers out there already?
Countess Shell: We DON’T need a new web browser. Who is putting out a new browser?
D: Google.
CS: Really? Call Derek. We don’t need a new browser. I LIKE Firefox.
D: (rolls eyes - at least I think he rolled his eyes as I can’t see him since he is sitting behind me) Yeah. Ok. I’ll get right on that.
CS: (reading that the new browser doesn’t come in Apple flavor yet): But I wanna play too. Why can’t I have the new browser too? I wanna play. That’s not fair. I wanna play too. Why can’t I play too?
I should just go get myself a cracker.
One of the cool things about moving? David found the stash of Canbury Mini Eggs - can you say FIVE bags? - he the Easter Bunny hid in the top of the cabinet. I’m up to my eyeballs in mini eggs. If you don’t hear from me for awhile send milk!
We fly out to Denver on Thursday night. Friday is closing. Friday afternoon we have appointments with Comcast, Qwest and the painters. Fly back to California on Sunday to meet the movers and pick up the cat. Back home again on Thursday for good. Holy crap. We’re moving. And I have a bunch of paint to pick. Ai-yi-yi.
Nathan thinks I all this stress is completely overrated. "Everyone should just chill and keep it real."
We let Nathan watch television for the first time ever tonight. The three of us huddled around the tiny flat screen in our library and watched the first African American accept the nomination for the President of the United States. And while I was crying because this election has proved what our parents always told us - that ANYONE can be WHATEVER they want to be - and what that means for my child, my son started clapping as he watched the screen. Oh, I know he was reacting to the crowd on screen and he has no idea what a momentous occasion he witnessed. However, I hope than when he is old enough to realize what he watched that he is confused as to why we made a big deal. Why we video-taped his chocolate pudding covered grinning face as a black man accepted the nomination for President. I’m hoping he’ll be confused, not by the pudding - although I guess we could have picked a less messy dessert to eat in the library - but because he just sees a man wanting to be of service to his country. I pray that by the time he watches the tape, we as a society will truly walk what we talk and that race and gender are not how we define what makes the person.
As for tonight, Nathan didn’t think too much into it - mostly “Hey! They’re clapping! I love clapping! Oh! Look! Pudding! I love pudding! And clapping! I might explode! More pudding please! More clapping please!”
Ps. And not letting him watch any television until almost 15 months doesn’t make me a better mother than anyone else. It just means we’ve never gotten back into the habit of turning on the television after Nathan was born. We were too exhausted in the beginning and just haven’t missed it since. We’re more apathetic, not better.