While Rob was in CA on a 4-day biz trip, Leah decided to give her hair a trim. I noticed the results of her handiwork as she came downstairs with her purple kid-safe scissors, wanting to give me a haircut. Whoa there, sister! Instead, I finished the job for her, and now she has a short little bob - cute and maintenance-free.
On Saturday we drove back to our old 'hood in Jersey City to have lunch with my youngest sister Biff, who was visiting a friend for the weekend. Down below is a picture of the Bean in front of her first home in JC. I miss it still (sniff)...
Sunday, Rob was home, and we all traveled to a farm for Leah's friend Hayley's 5th birthday party. It was fantastic - a tent, hay pyramid, hayride to pick pumpkins, corn maze, and pony rides (though she didn't make it atop one... much preferred climbing the pyramid).
So that was last weekend. And now I sleep... tomorrow is Halloween!
I am so behind getting a post up from this past weekend! I hope to finish after I finally peel my eyes away from all the contracts I've been working on this week. (Fun, but eye- and brain-draining.)
In the meantime, take a look at the only "infomercial" I've ever been moved by. I missed it last night on tv (didn't know about it, which proves that I have been busy - heh), but of course it can be found on the internets today. It's long (27 minutes) but SO WORTH IT, so get your favorite beverage and/or snack before settling in.
Should be worth at least a week's worth of posts, eh?
Check out this gorgeous photo essay by Callie Shell. From the accompanying piece Travels With Barak by Dirck Halstead:
Four years ago Time photographer Callie Shell met Barack Obama backstage when she was covering presidential candidate John Kerry. She sent her editor more photographs of Obama than Kerry. When asked why, she said, "I do not know. I just have a feeling about him. I think he will be important down the road." Her first photo essay on Obama was two and half years ago. She has stuck with him ever since.
Make sure to keep clicking on "Show More Images" at the bottom of each photo set to see all of them.
I've been tagged by DoulaMomma, which means I'm supposed to list 6 things about myself that I haven't revealed on my blog, and then tag 6 more blog-gy folks. Here goes...
My own school bus ran over me when I was 5 (or 6?), in front of the church I lived behind. I was fine... just a few scrapes from the road. This event came in handy when writing college entrance essays.
I never pictured myself living past college. Not that I thought I would die... I just couldn't picture what came next!
I have a really long tongue. (In my family we call it Wolfe Tongue.)
I may be addicted to the ADHD-inducing qualities of internet, but in reality I'm much happier reading a book or running around.
I love being a mother to Leah. (I may have said this here before, but not recently enough.) She becomes cooler by the day.
My mom came to visit for the past few days, just in time for autumn to make our house + neighborhood look really good.
We all enjoyed having her here, but Leah especially took to having Gram around. From first thing in the morning 'til her eyelids fluttered shut, Leah was Gram's shadow - readingbooks, building blocks, playing Candy Land, taking walks, running wild at the playground, making art, helping w/ dinner + sitting at the table (NOT in her booster seat). All of these things were done w/ Gram by her side. I imagine my mom needs a few days off now!
Leah has been growing + learning a ridiculous amount lately. She really wants to read - by herself. Loves letters and numbers and words. She tries to 'teach' me how to sound out words: "Mommy, say Day. Say Vid. Say Bow. Say Eee. David Bowie!!" It is not cool for me to just say David Bowie (or whatever word is being taught). It must be sounded out. Too funny.
She's a pro at riding her tricycle, up and down our driveway + the sidewalk, and is working on the balance bike. She has a little friend named Tyler a few doors down, who gives her wagon rides and plays with her in our backyard. It's funny, because my best friend at her age was my across-the-street neighbor in Louisiana: Tyler!
She loves singing + music + dancing, although she doesn't always love an audience. ("Mommy, look at your laptop!")
She is constantly toting her little piano bench around to stand on - when helping in the kitchen, to turn on/off lights, to reach DVDs.
And she is loving school, still. We have to pry her away at the end of the day. Which is awesome.
But most awesome of all is that she says she loves us - usually accompanied by a hug + a kiss. We sure love her, no matter what she loves (or doesn't).
"In a half-changed world, women often feel they need to choose: mothering or working? Your children's well-being or your own? Who Does She Think She Is?, a documentary by Academy Award winning filmmaker Pamela Tanner Boll, features five fierce women who refuse to choose. Through their lives, we explore some of the most problematic intersections of our time: mothering and creativity, partnering and independence, economics and art. The film invites us to consider both ancient legacies of women worshipped as cultural muses and more modern times when most people can't even name a handful of female artists."
It opens near me at the Angelika Film Center in NYC on October 17, and runs through Sunday. (If there is enough attendance, it will run through the 26th.) My mom is visiting this weekend, but maybe I can convince her to go!
it seems. Because I'm still sick, I've been reading way too much, as reflected in my recent posts. I will be going on a media diet soon! But first, I wanted to link to this editorial in the NY Times:
The Mask Slips By Bob Herbert Published: October 10, 2008
It matches my thoughts + feelings pretty well re: all the political shiznit going on lately. Read it (or not), then go do something else. We all need some rest + perspective!
“Interpreting our state constitutional provisions in accordance with firmly established equal protection principles leads inevitably to the conclusion that gay persons are entitled to marry the otherwise qualified same-sex partner of their choice,” Justice Palmer declared. “To decide otherwise would require us to apply one set of constitutional principles to gay persons and another to all others.”
I cannot believe this. Why are some people so ready to believe things that are laughably untrue? Do they need a ready outlet for their personal anger issues? Fear is such a powerful motivator. If only truth + reason were...
McCain supporters tell their stories while waiting for the McCain/Palin rally in Bethlehem, PA, October 8, 2008.
I'm not sure why this is news, exactly, but I'm very happy to see that a major celebrity is breastfeeding... hopefully setting an example for someone out there!
What a beautiful day today has been! Yeah, I'm sick (sore, throat, swollen glands, achy - my typical "Welcome to Fall" sick), but I don't care. Leah is at daycare, Rob at the office, and I got to sleep. By myself.
To top that off, the weather is gorgeous - warm and sunshiny, with beautiful golden light. So all the windows + doors have been open to let that in.
I finally got to watch Brokeback Mountain, which is amazing. Ang Lee is a master.
(Apologies for the poor-quality photos. My camera is begging to be cleaned.)
This afternoon we headed out to Brooklyn for the Atlantic Antic street festival, where we watched the beautiful fall light + Leah's dance moves. She twirled all the way down the street, and back again; stopping for some hot grilled corn or to gawk at faces being painted.
I found a lump in my right breast 4 days ago. Got my behind into my doctor's office two days later, and was told there's no reason to worry, but I should have an ultrasound to see what's what. So it's probably nothing, but I freaked out a little anyway because of course I read way too much about all the horrible + aggressive breast cancers that can strike women my age. My ultrasound appointment is 2.5 weeks away, so my plan in the meantime is to ignore, ignore, ignore. Then, if need be, I can do something about it.
Interestingly, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Pay attention to your own body, and tell all your friends to pay attention to theirs!
I cannot tell you how much this disgusts me. And how much I disagree with it, beyond the separation of church + state / legal issue. I don't understand how anyone who has actually studied the Bible can honestly say that the Republican candidate is more in line w/ what the Bible "teaches".
I have always felt that the Democratic party is the "kinder" party - the one interested in thriving families, good education, choices, equality, peaceful resolutions of conflicts, and taking care of those with less. They are the party not prone to quick anger, judgment, or wars. Oh, wait - I see now. These pastors are referring to the Old Testament when talking about the Bible. My bad!
Witness my continuing internal conflict with religion...
I've heard it said (and I'm sure I've repeated) that you are not entitled to voice a political opinion unless you VOTE.
Are you registered? Each state is different, but the earliest registration deadlines begin in less than a week - on October 4th.
Here are some handy tools:
Find out what the registration deadline is for your state. If you still need to register, you can do it online.
Even if you think you're registered, you might not be! Make sure, find out where your voting location is, learn your rights as a voter, and more at Vote411.
And of course, you need to actually get off your butt + be part of the voting public on November 4th. Then you can feel entitled to bitch about politics as much as you like! I know I do.
