My little politico

Maddy and me on my bed

watching the VP debate 

(sorry...grainy MacBook photobooth camera)

If there is a debate or a political convention on, Maddy is there with bells on.  Truly (although not literally.  No bells are actually worn on her person).  Four years ago, when she was 8, Maddy watched both the Democratic and Republican conventions, asking us questions all the way through, trying to unravel the mysteries of the political process. Where did this girl come from?  If you ask her what she wants to study when she goes to college, she will tell you she'd like to double major in history and political science, maybe studying the history of politics. There was a time she wanted to run for president someday but she has since decided that she's not interested in that kind of scrutiny.  Too bad...I would love to see those spunky sparkly red shoes in the White House.

In her honor I want to remind you to make sure you are registered to vote. In some states the deadline is THIS WEEK.  Make sure you are eligible to make your voice heard in November. Okay? 

* * * *

Linky Love, political style:

~Check out your local area's voting registration.

~Also, here's a clever election-season-in-a-nutshell clip 

~I also enjoyed Gabi's interview with her brother and sister-in-law about their opposing political viewpoints.

Playing big

Today as I was watching my daughter's violin lesson, her wonderful teacher Cate asked "Maddy, do you consider yourself to be someone who holds pieces of herself back & tries to take up less room? Or do you think of yourself as someone who opens right up and shares with everybody and isn't afraid to be noticed?"

"Well...both, I guess." (Which is true...she does both. Maybe we all do.)

"Hmm. Right now your violin is asking you to open up more.  To be bigger.  To take up space. To share more of what you're feeling through your music.  It's a great invitation!  Can you do it?"

Meanwhile, I'm over on the scratchy sofa, inspired and inwardly nodding my head and saying "Yes, I can, Cate. I will play bigger.  I will share. I will take up space."  

My life has been asking that of me lately, too, and it's scary: a challenging new church calling, for example. A chance to step up and demonstrate what I've learned in an unfamiliar setting. And a lingering desire to express myself in writing.  I'm a walking contradiction (um, my first blog was called Ambitious Homebody...that about sums it up). I want to rise to the challenge that opportunities bring.  But I also crave staying well within my comfort zone.  Preferably with jammies on. Pieces of this Nelson Mandela passage have been rattling around my brain so I had to go look it up:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Amen, Nelson Mandela. You know what you're talking about, sir.

[I have edited this a couple of times as I've thought about it further. Sorry for the re-publishing!]

The Silly News

Maddy and Sam like to video themselves doing newscasts. They write the scripts, dress up, create props, and tape it with our home video camera--the whole business. Then they assemble us all for a screening of The 22 News, which is actually a lot of footage of laughing and had-to-be-there joking on tape. Trust me, you really had to be there.

I came across a yet-to-be-shot outline for their next production, a brainstorm list of stories and assignments. Here it is, as written (with typos and all):

• men's fooseball olympic match (US against Japan, 9 - 9, US get goal, win championship), (Sam)
• "You Dance Good" finale (Sam & Maddy dancing contest)
  
• Ron the Clown (Maddy) interview by Sam
• Pickle famon in Zimbabue: officials begging others for pickles (Maddy)
• Local Ikea has to close down because of lack of meatballs (Sam)
• This Day in History (Maddy)

Although not strictly in the news department (but--hey--local news is constantly airing infotainment segments, right?) I'm especially looking forward to the "You Dance Good" {I'm imagining a neanderthal dance contest where the judges grunt "You. Dance. Good."} and the Ron the Clown segments.

And to get the full funny, you have to understand that Sam really likes the meatballs at Ikea. And pickles.

Now, back to you...

Oh dear

This week we've spent our days on the beach of Bear Lake with Greg's family.  We bring food and drinks and chairs and a shade-giving fold-up gazebo thing, taking turns going skiing/riding/tubing on the boats.  The only thing missing is a bathroom.

Which is not strictly true, since there are three portapotties up next to the road.  But everyone does their darndest to avoid having to use them. Some people even take strategic wades out to waist deep water.  I'm not judging, just stating facts.

This morning Maddy had occasion to use the plastic green structures.  She trudged the 200 yards with her younger cousin, did what she needed to, then raced back to the beach just in time to catch the next boat for tubing.

 

Later, on the boat, she commented "Wow.  Those portapotties were really dirty and gross.  And the soap was all dried up."

It took me two seconds to realize what she was talking about.

"Maddy, that wasn't soap!"  {All of the adults try not to meet gazes and not burst out laughing.}

"What was it then?"

"Honey, it was the cake of sanitizer they put in the urinals.  Um, did you touch it?"

"yes."

She was mortified. {Do you think the fact that it's sanitizer cancels out the grossness of where it was or what has been sprayed on it?  I didn't think so.}

There's so much to teach your child to get ready to live in the world!  Telling time and wearing seatbelts and eating a balanced diet and building campfires and flossing. So, turns out I guess I forgot to tell my 12-year-old daughter about the urinal cakes.  I share this so you can spread the word and Maddy's mortification will not have been in vain.

But the uncles thought it was hilarious.

cousin Isaac and Lauren on the tubes

Apples to wackos

We were sitting around playing Apples to Apples this morning when we stumbled into a hilarious coda to the game. Hilarious to us, that is. Is it dorky or cool? I can't decide.  It might be a case of had-to-be-there.

Whatever word cards you win, you act out at the end.

We started out pretty straightforward:

^

flirtatious

^

patriotic

Then we started combining words and adding props

and things got a little wacky:

^

temperamental & dangerous

^

unscrupulous & cool

(nothing says cool like smoking a pen?

kids, don't try this at home)

^

saintly & powerful

^

scary & loud

And my personal favorite:

^

dangerous and cheesy

(grandma is threatening to grate M's finger)