Every night when Ellie says her prayers, she has a certain set of "please bless"es that she includes. Usually it goes like this:
"Please bless that the fire alarm won't go off.
Please bless that there won't be any monsters or ghosts or beetles or snakes or creatures.
Please bless that my boo-boos will get better.
Please bless that Grandpa U. won't have any cavities in his teeth.
Please bless that Grandma H. won't have any strange problems with her computer."
I think the last two are probably Ellie's way of showing love to her various sets of grandparents. But why the teeth, why the computer? Beats me. All I know is that Grandpa U.'s teeth are probably the most prayed-for teeth in the country, and Grandma H.'s computer may have a special spiritual firewall!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Nursing Things
Here's another Ellie photo, from her ballet class performance. What you might not notice from this picture, is that Ellie has stuffed two scarves from the dance down the front of her leotard. She does this at home sometimes and walks around talking about her "big nursing things!" In fact, the other day, she looked at a Cinderella figurine and asked, "Mommy, why are her nursing things so big? She has bigger nursing things than you!"Stupid Disney.
Ellie Belle
Here's a belated photo of the beautiful Belle in all her Halloween glory. Ellie and her friend Michelle from Tucson traded costumes this year. Yes, this dress is homemade. (Katy, you are simply awesome!)
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Independent children and the impending election
Last week we were all in the car, and Maile and I were having a conversation about the upcoming election.
"What's an election?" Ellie asked.
"An election is when we get to decide who will be our leader, who will be in charge." I answered.
After a moment of thought, Ellie declared, "I want Sarah Palin to be our leader."
"Why do you want Sarah Palin to be our leader, Ellie?" asked Maile, very amused.
"She looks and talks like Daddy's mother."
She had first pointed this out as we watched Palin's speech at the Republican convention online at the kitchen table together. It's quite true: had my mother stayed in Alaska instead of leaving when I was a one-year-old she might have been governor by now. :-)
Ellie's opinion on the matter was quite funny to hear, because it stands in stark contrast to our own. We both voted for John McCain in the 2000 primary and would have been thrilled to have had him as our president these last eight years instead of Bush. However, in this electoral cycle we are proud supporters of Obama:
Maile, a hard-working community organizer here in the Village, was less than impressed by Palin's remark during her convention speech about community organizers not having any responsibilities, hence the bumper sticker at top. I've been less than impressed with pretty much everything Palin has said thus far.
Our Halloween treat was the arrival of the latest issue of The Economist, which--to our happy surprise--endorsed Obama (they have long been big fans of McCain). Maile was so excited she made a copy of the cover and taped it in the window for all the trick-or-treaters to see.
It's good for children to grow up and have an opportunity to form their own opinions. We're pleased that our parents don't give us a hard time about not being registered in either party and frequently (but by no means always) voting for Democrats. We have fully intended to follow that example and allow Ellie that same respect and space.
We just didn't expect that she would forge her own independent political path quite so early. :-)
"What's an election?" Ellie asked.
"An election is when we get to decide who will be our leader, who will be in charge." I answered.
After a moment of thought, Ellie declared, "I want Sarah Palin to be our leader."
"Why do you want Sarah Palin to be our leader, Ellie?" asked Maile, very amused.
"She looks and talks like Daddy's mother."
She had first pointed this out as we watched Palin's speech at the Republican convention online at the kitchen table together. It's quite true: had my mother stayed in Alaska instead of leaving when I was a one-year-old she might have been governor by now. :-)
Ellie's opinion on the matter was quite funny to hear, because it stands in stark contrast to our own. We both voted for John McCain in the 2000 primary and would have been thrilled to have had him as our president these last eight years instead of Bush. However, in this electoral cycle we are proud supporters of Obama:
Maile, a hard-working community organizer here in the Village, was less than impressed by Palin's remark during her convention speech about community organizers not having any responsibilities, hence the bumper sticker at top. I've been less than impressed with pretty much everything Palin has said thus far.Our Halloween treat was the arrival of the latest issue of The Economist, which--to our happy surprise--endorsed Obama (they have long been big fans of McCain). Maile was so excited she made a copy of the cover and taped it in the window for all the trick-or-treaters to see.
It's good for children to grow up and have an opportunity to form their own opinions. We're pleased that our parents don't give us a hard time about not being registered in either party and frequently (but by no means always) voting for Democrats. We have fully intended to follow that example and allow Ellie that same respect and space.
We just didn't expect that she would forge her own independent political path quite so early. :-)
Halloween 2008
Since Halloween fell on a Friday night this year, our ward had our Halloween activity the previous Friday, the 24th. Many kids, parents, and couples were dressed up. Most families had unified themes: all ghosts, or all Harry Potter related, or all pirates, or--a Berkeley Ward favorite--all hippies.
We, in contrast, could not settle on a single family theme. Nope, we had three. Above you can see Ellie dressed as a lovely Belle, of "Beauty and the Beast" fame. Maile appears as a farmer, carrying Benjamin the sack of potatoes. I was Vendetta from Making Fiends.
Maile correctly points out that my Halloween costumes of late have been more obscure with each passing year. A few people did manage to figure out who I was--including the bishop--primarily due to my efforts to popularize the show. If you haven't yet seen it, by all means visit www.makingfiends.com and check it out.
We had a great time, and Ellie collected ample amounts of candy. :-)
We, in contrast, could not settle on a single family theme. Nope, we had three. Above you can see Ellie dressed as a lovely Belle, of "Beauty and the Beast" fame. Maile appears as a farmer, carrying Benjamin the sack of potatoes. I was Vendetta from Making Fiends.
Maile correctly points out that my Halloween costumes of late have been more obscure with each passing year. A few people did manage to figure out who I was--including the bishop--primarily due to my efforts to popularize the show. If you haven't yet seen it, by all means visit www.makingfiends.com and check it out.
We had a great time, and Ellie collected ample amounts of candy. :-)
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Happy Halloween from Benja-Pumpkin!
On Tuesday Ellie's preschool class had a field trip to the pumpkin patch. Ellie got to ride on a pony, jump in a jumping castle, and feed the animals. (More photos to come!) Benjamin was pretty patient with the whole deal -- as long as his tummy is fed, he's a happy little guy. He was definitely my favorite pumpkin in the patch.
Monday, October 13, 2008
This is not okay
For friends and family members, my political leanings in this presidential election are not much of a secret. And so, as you can imagine, it is with concern that I have been reading about rowdy crowds at McCain and Palin speeches yelling that Obama is a terrorist and should be killed. I understand that running negative ads is a time-honored (and unfortunately, effective) campaign strategy. But things are getting out of control. I think this editorial by Frank Rich said it best (full text at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/opinion/12rich.htm):
IF you think way back to the start of this marathon campaign, back when it seemed preposterous that any black man could be a serious presidential contender, then you remember the biggest fear about Barack Obama: a crazy person might take a shot at him.
Some voters told reporters that they didn’t want Obama to run, let alone win, should his very presence unleash the demons who have stalked America from Lincoln to King. After consultation with Congress, Michael Chertoff, the homeland security secretary, gave Obama a Secret Service detail earlier than any presidential candidate in our history — in May 2007, some eight months before the first Democratic primaries.
“I’ve got the best protection in the world, so stop worrying,” Obama reassured his supporters. Eventually the country got conditioned to his appearing in large arenas without incident (though I confess that the first loud burst of fireworks at the end of his convention stadium speech gave me a start). In America, nothing does succeed like success. The fear receded.
Until now. At McCain-Palin rallies, the raucous and insistent cries of “Treason!” and “Terrorist!” and “Kill him!” and “Off with his head!” as well as the uninhibited slinging of racial epithets, are actually something new in a campaign that has seen almost every conceivable twist. They are alarms. Doing nothing is not an option.
...By the time McCain asks the crowd “Who is the real Barack Obama?” it’s no surprise that someone cries out “Terrorist!” The rhetorical conflation of Obama with terrorism is complete. It is stoked further by the repeated invocation of Obama’s middle name by surrogates introducing McCain and Palin at these rallies. This sleight of hand at once synchronizes with the poisonous Obama-is-a-Muslim e-mail blasts and shifts the brand of terrorism from Ayers’s Vietnam-era variety to the radical Islamic threats of today.
That’s a far cry from simply accusing Obama of being a guilty-by-association radical leftist. Obama is being branded as a potential killer and an accessory to past attempts at murder. “Barack Obama’s friend tried to kill my family” was how a McCain press release last week packaged the remembrance of a Weather Underground incident from 1970 — when Obama was 8.
We all know what punishment fits the crime of murder, or even potential murder, if the security of post-9/11 America is at stake. We all know how self-appointed “patriotic” martyrs always justify taking the law into their own hands.
...What’s troubling here is not only the candidates’ loose inflammatory talk but also their refusal to step in promptly and strongly when someone responds to it with bloodthirsty threats in a crowded arena. Joe Biden had it exactly right when he expressed concern last week that “a leading American politician who might be vice president of the United States would not just stop midsentence and turn and condemn that.” To stay silent is to pour gas on the fires.
Amen. We are not a backwards, corrupted, faltering third-world democracy. Political games are one thing; inciting to riot and violence is another. For the sake of our nation, I dearly hope this all comes to nothing.
IF you think way back to the start of this marathon campaign, back when it seemed preposterous that any black man could be a serious presidential contender, then you remember the biggest fear about Barack Obama: a crazy person might take a shot at him.
Some voters told reporters that they didn’t want Obama to run, let alone win, should his very presence unleash the demons who have stalked America from Lincoln to King. After consultation with Congress, Michael Chertoff, the homeland security secretary, gave Obama a Secret Service detail earlier than any presidential candidate in our history — in May 2007, some eight months before the first Democratic primaries.
“I’ve got the best protection in the world, so stop worrying,” Obama reassured his supporters. Eventually the country got conditioned to his appearing in large arenas without incident (though I confess that the first loud burst of fireworks at the end of his convention stadium speech gave me a start). In America, nothing does succeed like success. The fear receded.
Until now. At McCain-Palin rallies, the raucous and insistent cries of “Treason!” and “Terrorist!” and “Kill him!” and “Off with his head!” as well as the uninhibited slinging of racial epithets, are actually something new in a campaign that has seen almost every conceivable twist. They are alarms. Doing nothing is not an option.
...By the time McCain asks the crowd “Who is the real Barack Obama?” it’s no surprise that someone cries out “Terrorist!” The rhetorical conflation of Obama with terrorism is complete. It is stoked further by the repeated invocation of Obama’s middle name by surrogates introducing McCain and Palin at these rallies. This sleight of hand at once synchronizes with the poisonous Obama-is-a-Muslim e-mail blasts and shifts the brand of terrorism from Ayers’s Vietnam-era variety to the radical Islamic threats of today.
That’s a far cry from simply accusing Obama of being a guilty-by-association radical leftist. Obama is being branded as a potential killer and an accessory to past attempts at murder. “Barack Obama’s friend tried to kill my family” was how a McCain press release last week packaged the remembrance of a Weather Underground incident from 1970 — when Obama was 8.
We all know what punishment fits the crime of murder, or even potential murder, if the security of post-9/11 America is at stake. We all know how self-appointed “patriotic” martyrs always justify taking the law into their own hands.
...What’s troubling here is not only the candidates’ loose inflammatory talk but also their refusal to step in promptly and strongly when someone responds to it with bloodthirsty threats in a crowded arena. Joe Biden had it exactly right when he expressed concern last week that “a leading American politician who might be vice president of the United States would not just stop midsentence and turn and condemn that.” To stay silent is to pour gas on the fires.
Amen. We are not a backwards, corrupted, faltering third-world democracy. Political games are one thing; inciting to riot and violence is another. For the sake of our nation, I dearly hope this all comes to nothing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)