My New Profile Photo

See that? It's pure awesomeness. No explanation necessary. Let us take a moment to bask in the glow of the awesomeness that is The Office. Amen.

I bought myself the complete Fourth Season of The Office for Christmas. I got it from a friend of an online friend, in unopened packaging, for about half of what it costs at Best Buy or Target. Paypal, message boards and the internets all coming together to bring me a gift I love. It's such a beautiful thing. It even comes with the script to one of the best episodes of that season. :geeks out:

The only problem is that my touch of OCD and procrastinating perfectionism is keeping me from watching any of it yet. My house is quickly nearing that previously alluded to state of chaos which means that I will spend the better part of today decluttering, organizing, sweeping, mopping and dusting until I am able to flop on my sofa and do nothing -- nothing but fully and truly appreciate all that Season Four has to offer.

So let it be written, so let it be done.

We Have Been Inoculated

I debated getting flu shots for the kids this year. I usually get one, being a nurse and being exposed to all manner of microorganisms. But the kids have never gotten them. They're not in a high risk category. And I sometimes wonder if we're over-inoculating ourselves these days. I'm a tad nervous of super germs being the demise of the human race.

But we got the flu last season and that was what finally tipped the scales for me. It was hell -- two weeks of hell. Apparently last year's flu prediction was off and people who got flu shots, myself included, only had about 25% protection. Ironically, I was the sickest in the family. Miriam was very close behind me. Samuel recovered pretty quickly. Solomon escaped altogether; one good thing about him spending 5 months in Albuquerque.

So, off we went to the office yesterday afternoon for flu vaccines. I bribed the kids with McDonald's Happy Meals. They reluctantly agreed. I wanted to tell them that there was a chance they could have nasal spray instead of a shot. I resisted, though because I knew the office might be out and it would be wrong to get their hopes up about it.

When we got there, I asked my co-worker if there was any FluMist left. When I left work on Thursday afternoon there were a few doses left but everyone wants FluMist so I wasn't sure they would still be there. Luckily, there were some doses remaining so each of my children could get one. I cannot tell you how relieved they were.

Solomon went first. Ever the one for drama, he made some outrageous faces and then shouted that it was all stuck in his throat. After a few sips of water he was fine. Miriam went next and we almost didn't get the second half into her. She wasn't very happy with the first half and I had to hold her still. Then I had to coach her not to blow it into a tissue. Samuel was a real trooper and handled it better than the other two. And everyone was thrilled that there were no needles!

I, however, prefer to have a needle plunged into my deltoid. I cannot tolerate things in or around my nose. And there is no way I will voluntarily suck a liquid into my nostrils. No way, no how. Give me a shot. And my friend did. And I'm a little sore today.

I am relieved that we are doing all we can to avoid the flu. I was more worried about contracting the flu again than I realized. Let's hope the protection works this year. Supposedly, the FluMist contains more strains of the flu virus and therefore offers better protection than the injectable FluZone. This is good, considering that the kids come into contact with tons of stuff at school all day, every day. I push hand washing every chance I get but who knows what actually happens at school, right?

When we were finished I wondered aloud (jokingly) to the kids if they should still get Happy Meals since they didn't actually have to get a shot. They looked a little perplexed before they realized I was only kidding.

P.S. Another good thing about the FluMist -- because all of my children are younger than 9 years and because this is their first year for flu vaccine, if they had been injected, they'd have to return in 4 weeks for yet another injection. So we're avoiding 2 injections for each and getting better protection. :crosses fingers:

Repetitive Redundancies

• ATM machine
• PIN number
• VIN number
• hot water heater
• vaccine shot record
• GPS system

Why do people insist upon saying these things and making me want to throw things? Why?

Sigh

Trying to catch my breath here -- and catch up on my writing. I thought I might do that tonight. I am babysitting for Jennifer and Caleb and just vegging on the couch with my laptop. But I'm too tired.

I will be back. I have a lot to say; just not a lot of time or energy these days. Thanks for checking in, though.

Another Political Post

Maybe I've been too caught up in politics lately or maybe it's because this was such an emotional election or maybe I'm just hormonal, but some of these photos are so poignant I tear up when looking at them.

From 52 to 48, with love

Parent-Teacher Conferences

We'll start with Samuel since I met with his teacher on Tuesday morning. She showed me more examples of his work. As at the first meeting with her, his work runs the gamut from a page with faint scribbles to a page with near-perfect writing. Again, I'm not worried about his cognitive abilities because he obviously gets it. So we are still focusing on occupational therapy, sensory issues and now adding speech therapy for stuttering.

Samuel started stuttering around the beginning of this year (calendar year, not school year) and I ignored it. Solomon and Miriam both stuttered for a couple of months at the same age but it passed and they've had no problems since. But Samuel's stuttering has continued and it's getting worse, not better. For the last part of my conference with Samuel's teacher, the speech pathologist joined us and outlined what she'll be doing with Samuel twice a week. She said he doesn't show signs of having a physiological problem and since there isn't a family history of stuttering, she's encouraged that he'll move past this eventually.

Samuel went to speech for the first time yesterday. He loved it and he was so proud of himself. When I picked him up yesterday evening, he showed off his sticker and said, "I went to speech today and I did awesome!" I'm sad that Samuel is struggling with things like this, but I am so grateful that there are qualified people to help him. These plans are really encouraging.

I met with Solomon's teacher on Wednesday evening. I expected to hear good things about him since he was selected for the High Flyer Award last month; I was not disappointed. Solomon is advanced in math. He's a logical thinker and his teacher said he's one of the few in her class that can explain why he does math problems the way he does.

Solomon is still behind in reading and spelling but he's improving, thanks to ELA services every day for 20 minutes. Because he is behind in reading, there is an individualized plan for him to focus on the areas where he needs the most help. The goal is to get him to grade level by February when he takes the Colorado standardized test. Also, since he is below grade level, his teacher has had it approved for him to take the tests for shorter time periods and to give him more time overall to complete sections of the test. She has noticed that he gets anxious during tests when he can't get things finished on time so this should remove that stress.

Solomon's teacher said he is well-liked by his peers and she really enjoys having him in her class. I can't tell you how happy I was to hear this because I've been certain before that Solomon's teachers haven't always enjoyed having him in their classes. No one has been ungracious about it, but he has definitely been The Challenge more often than not.

I met with Miriam's teacher on Thursday night. She said that Miriam is doing very well. She was slightly below grade level in math at the beginning of the year and is now at grade level. She was at grade level in reading and reading comprehension when school started and now she's off the reading grading scale. This is so awesome and it's even better because Miriam actually loves to read.

The teacher showed me a couple of narratives that Miriam wrote. They are so great. She wrote and illustrated one about us finding a dead snake in the parking lot while we walked to the park. She's so funny and gross.

I love these kids.

Things Are Good

And by things, I mean the things that make up my life at the moment: children, home, work and friends. I don't mean Things, as in extra stuff. I'm not a stuff person; stuff gets in the way, clutters my space and gets on my nerves. So, not that kind of Things.

The election is over and I'm obviously happy with the turn out. We're back on Standard Time, which I prefer. Winter is coming and there is snow on the ground (Yay!). Thanksgiving with its delicious food and great family time is a mere 12 days away. And I have someone to cover my spot the Monday after Thanksgiving so we can take our time driving back. After that comes Christmas and our very first family tree.

We had parent-teacher conferences this week. I got great reports on all 3 kids (more about that later). We attended the book fair and got some new books for everyone. We have a 3-day weekend and slept in this morning. There is a birthday party to attend tomorrow and then the kids will spend the night with their cousins and uncle. Jennifer and I are going downtown for a girls' night out with friends. Next weekend is family movie night at the school and we'll go in our pajamas to watch Wall-E. I'm getting involved with the school, volunteering for the kids' teachers and helping the school nurse on my day off.

I've managed to stay on top of the dishes and laundry for 2 straight weeks. Actually, if you count the 2 weeks the kids were gone, I've managed this for 4 weeks -- a month! I'm making myself unload the dishwasher when it finishes running so I can re-load it after each meal instead of piling dishes in the sink. I'm making myself hang up clothes straight from the dryer instead of piling them in the armchair in the living room. And I'm folding the things in the basket when it gets full instead of letting it overflow until it threatens to bury me in an avalanche of clothing.

The office is moving its location as I write this and that means my daily round-trip commute will be chopped from 50 minutes to 14 minutes, beginning Monday. I get to unpack and organize a beautiful office space on Sunday. Parking will be excellent, our office is on the first floor instead of the third. Our windows have a 180 degree view of the Rockies instead of a dismal parking lot and a congested interstate. We have plenty of storage for supplies, bigger exam rooms and uncluttered desk space.

So, yeah. Things are good. I'm going to savor this because history tells me it won't last forever and I'll need this good feeling to get me through the next low point.

A Pomegranate and Giggles

I had a nice moment with my daughter this week. The boys were off somewhere in the house doing boy stuff while Miriam and I sat at the table peeling a pomegranate. It was her first time to try pomegranate seeds and I wasn't sure she'd like them. It's an awful lot of work for a tiny bit of sweetness. But she loved them.

So we sat and talked and peeled and ate. We talked about school, family, our trip to Arkansas in a couple of weeks. We talked about her friends and my work. We talked about the pending arrival of her half-sibling and how she hopes it's a girl because she really wants a sister. I told her how much I love her and how happy I am that she's my daughter. We told each other jokes and giggled ourselves silly.

It's hard to come by these moments. So often the minutiae of life get in the way and I forget that life is made of these moments, not paying the bills or maneuvering traffic or buying groceries. I'm going to make a point of letting these moments happen more frequently.

The Bigger Picture

I'm still at something of a loss. My words cannot adequately express what this election has meant, and will mean, to me. In the moments after the election was called I posted the entry 2 below this one. I said that it was over. But really, it's just beginning.

President-Elect Obama has a very long, difficult road ahead of him. Our economy is swirling the drain, a long war has looked even longer until now and we're facing an energy crisis of epic proportions. Presidential expectations have never been higher. Add to that the high level of divisiveness that was involved in this campaign and the threats against his life and the result is an extremely unenviable position.

I have every confidence in Barack Obama as a leader. His acceptance speech struck the right balance of hope for the future and humility in the moment. This man had the opportunity to make this election about himself, on a night that was truly momentous; he chose instead to focus on the people of this country. He spoke directly to us, not mincing words about the obstacles that lay ahead. He extended his support to those that opposed him and humbly asked for their support in return. This is a man worthy of our respect, regardless of party affiliation.

No one knows exactly what will happen in the next 4 years. It will be slow going, but progress will be made. Our new leader possesses a self-assurance and a coolness that will make him level-headed when the tough decisions need to be made. We can count on him to make rational decisions, as opposed to emotional decisions. This country desperately needs a large dose of rationality. I am so grateful that we will get it now.

The Nuts & Bolts of My Election Day

I have put off writing about this because I don't know what to say. In the moment, the enormity paralyzed my words. I'm still at a loss but if I don't start writing soon, I'll begin to forget and that is the last thing I want to do. So I will start with the beginning.

I refused to sign up for a mail in ballot and didn't really want to go to early voting, either. I like the ceremony of waiting in line, showing my ID, signing on the dotted line and curtaining myself in a booth. It's both solemn and exhilarating for me. I knew that to avoid waiting in line for hours I'd have to be in line before my polling place opened.

The kids and I left home at 6:30 AM to go to their school, which is my polling place. I took my place in line and there were about 20 people ahead of me already. By the time the required hour of 7:00 AM arrived, the line was beginning to snake around the school building. The kids played on the playground until the line moved inside. Solomon went to choir and the other two went with me to vote.

I knew the ballot would be extensive due the large number of proposed amendments this year. I had prepared a cheat sheet of sorts for myself from the voter's guide so I didn't have to read through all the amendments in the booth. Still, when I stepped into the booth, my stomach flipped at the sight of a page about 2 1/2 feet by 2 feet. I didn't know where to start. I finally recognized an amendment number in the middle of the page and pressed the appropriate button. I breezed through the rest of the amendments and then realized I hadn't voted for a single person yet. So I went back to the top of the page and pressed the buttons for the offices of President, Senate, House of Representatives and a couple of local races. Then I triple-checked all of my lit buttons and finally pressed the submission button.

We left the gym and I dropped off Samuel and Miriam in the cafeteria to eat (another) breakfast. Then I remembered that I hadn't gotten an "I Voted!" sticker. Yes, I'm a voting dork, I like the booth and I want that sticker. So I went back for my sticker.

On my way out of the school I called Jennifer to celebrate voting and got all choked up on the phone. I ran into a guy from the campaign office and he asked me if I was going to help out. I really wanted to be helping at the polls but I had to work. He asked me who I voted for and we both burst out laughing.

I stopped at Starbucks for my free coffee. I told the barista that I had just voted and showed my sticker. She yelled out, "Hey! She just voted!" and everyone cheered. The girl passing out samples of the Peppermint Mocha with a Twist complimented the back of my car. She said that she really liked the stickers, even though "I'm 'technically' neutral. But I really, really like your bumper stickers."

When I got to work another nurse was hooking up a tiny portable television so we could keep up with the news during the day. That turned out not to work so well since we could only tune in to The Price is Right. We ended up leaving the back computer on MSNBC all day to listen to the live feed, which wasn't very interesting.

During the day, it was pretty easy to forget what a monumental day it was. I was too busy to be nervous. But once it got to be 5:00 and polls closed on the East Coast, I started to feel funny. I rushed to pick up the kids and we ate a quick dinner in the car on the way to Ben & Jerry's. I got a free scoop for voting and the kiddos each picked a flavor, too. We sat in the food court and watched the returns on a massive television hanging over our heads.

I tried to explain to the kids what all the figures and calculations meant. Somehow the electoral process with its popular vote versus electoral vote escaped them. All they cared about was that Obama was definitely in the lead. Really, that's all I cared about, too.

When we got home the kids finished their homework and started getting ready for bed. I was pretty useless as a supervisory figure since all I could do was sit on the couch and watch the returns. I did manage to tuck in Miriam and Samuel and get Solomon into the shower. When I made it back to the living room, there was a picture of Barack Obama on the screen and a headline reading, "Barack Obama Elected 44th President of the United States."

I got chills and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. So I did both. I sat on the couch, in shock. Dad sent me a congratulatory text message and Jennifer called 5 seconds later. Solomon came out of the bathroom and asked me what was wrong. I told him that nothing was wrong, that Obama will be our next president. He whooped and ran to their bedroom to tell his siblings. They were already half-asleep and didn't care.

Solomon sat with me on the couch. He said he wanted to stay up and see Obama's victory speech. I wasn't going to tell him no during such an historic moment. So we snuggled together and he fell asleep in my lap half way through the speech.

I finally went to bed, relieved and also half afraid that I'd wake up in the morning to hear that there was a mess of hanging chads and voter disenfranchisment somewhere in the country. It was a great day and I hope I never forget it.

President-Elect Barack Obama

It's over. I am speechless.

Three Weeks!

I looked at a calendar today and realized that it's just 3 weeks until I will start packing up for our Thanksgiving trip! I can't believe it's so close!

And after that, Christmas is just a month away. I can't wait for Christmas. We're going to have a tree for the first time ever. But that is another post for another time ...

Three weeks!

It's Funny Now

You know how when something comically awful happens it's hard to laugh about it at the time? Well, just recently I realized that a really bad day in our family's history has become hilarious. At least, to me. I'm not so sure that my kids feel that way yet.

It started with a day off work and a long To Do List. The kitchen was practically bare and we also had to hit the library, bank and car wash some where along the way. My kids are never ones to rebel against Murphy's Law so of course the morning started with bickering, antagonizing and a few tears with breakfast.

When we finally got to the car, I remembered that all the booster seats were in the cargo space since I had driven the lunch group from work the day before. I had to separate all three kids and sit them on the curb facing opposite directions while I reinstalled the seats. Once in the car I put a ban on all unnecessary talking to help restore my sanity and we made quick work of the library, bank and car wash.

It was close to lunch time so I decided to head to Wal-Mart and take advantage of the McDonald's at the entrance. (I don't like Wal-Mart very much but sometimes it just can't be beat.) This is where things truly fell apart.

We all had our food and I was just beginning to think good thoughts about my children again when Solomon screamed. I looked over and saw blood in his mouth. He had had a pretty loose tooth for a while and as happens with loose teeth, it had gotten in the way of chewing his cheeseburger. I tried to calm him down but when he saw the blood, there was no calming down. I started to worry that he was going to choke on the food in his mouth so I made him spit it out.

By this time, everyone in the place was staring at our table. I can't really blame them. A screaming kid is stare-worthy. But blood, partially chewed food and lunch time do not go well together. I left Samuel and Miriam at the table and took Solomon to a garbage can in a somewhat secluded corner where he could tend to his mouth. After much rinsing of his mouth, wiping of his face and deep breathing, he returned to the table and asked me where his tooth was.

Crap. I hadn't seen the tooth since the whole ordeal began. I asked him to open wide and confirmed that the tooth was, indeed, not still attached. More crying ensued. I looked in a wadded mess of napkins on the table and didn't see the tooth. The crying continued. I actually went to look in the garbage can. Fortunately, it had been recently emptied and the contents were mostly my own child's napkins. I still couldn't find the tooth. Samuel took this opportunity to mention that the Tooth Fairy can't give you money if your tooth is in the trash. The crying escalated to wailing. I slathered myself with hand sanitizer.

In the midst of this, Miriam had started begging for a bathroom because she needed to poop. Since we weren't going to get any more eating done, I packed up what was left of our lunch and we headed to the restroom. Solomon managed to pull himself together and began coming up with ideas to get the Tooth Fairy to visit him anyway.

After everyone had tended to their restroom needs (and I had scrubbed my hands furiously) we got a shopping cart and made for the produce section of the grocery store. I was busily choosing apples, carrots and cucumbers when Miriam said, "Eeewww, what's this?" She held up her hand and I saw a weird peanut butter-looking substance smeared on her fingers.

Where in the world did peanut butter come from? I checked the cart to see if a previous customer had made a mess of it. No peanut butter. I looked around the fruit bins and still didn't see any peanut butter. I smelled Miriam's hand. It most definitely was not peanut butter. Miriam turned around and I saw the non-peanut butter substance all over the back of her jeans.

Crap. For real this time. One good thing about Wal-Mart is that they have those great paper towel dispensers mounted on posts throughout the store. I ripped off a few towels and wiped Miriam's hand as well as I could. Then I used my trusty hand sanitizer for the second time in 15 minutes.

Another good thing about Wal-Mart is that you can be in the produce section and step across the aisle to find little girl shorts for $3. You'd think that with poo all over the back of her pants, Miriam would not be picky about the color of $3 shorts. But, no. She weighed the merits of purple, blue and pink before finally deciding on pink. I paid for the shorts and we went back to the restroom so Miriam could change.

I considered packing it in and going home but we would have been going home to a house with no food. So I sucked it up, crossed my fingers and headed back to the groceries. Fortunately the rest of the day passed without more trouble. But really, what could top blood, a truly lost tooth and poop from a public bathroom?

Observations from Yesterday

Yesterday I was so caught up in the awesomeness of the rally that I forgot to mention some observations Jennifer and I made during our adventure.

The first is that when you stand shoulder to shoulder with the same people for an hour, you begin to notice smells emanating from them. The woman directly to our right smelled really bad; not the smell of perspiration but just a general un-washed smell dressed in un-washed clothes. The man in front of us had forgotten to apply his deodorant. The woman behind me needed to brush her teeth. Yuck.

The second is that some people decided walking 2 miles to the end of the entrance line was too much for them. We had made about a block's progress when Jennifer motioned at a guy slightly behind and to her right. She asked, sotto voce, if he had been there all along. I murmured back that he had not. I think he noticed our noticing because he tried to strike up a conversation and make friends then. We didn't care that he had cut in line behind us but we weren't going to become his new best friends, either.

Finally, there's this tidbit. When we boarded the bus to go down the 16th Street Mall, there was a man already standing in the aisle. As the bus filled up quickly, I had no choice but to stand right next to him. He smelt strongly of liquor. His eyes were red, watery and swollen and I suspect that it was not from crying.

I had been next to him for less than a minute when he asked Jennifer and me if we'd ever had breakfast at Dixon's. We said no and he went on to explain that the eggs Florentine look like breasts. Apparently the restaurant serves them with sliced olives placed just so, on the poached eggs. Lovely. Then he chuckled and said, "I know that's a weird thing to talk to strangers about, but I think it's funny."

He asked us where we were going. When we replied that we were going to the Obama rally he said he was going to work. "Yeah, I'm a designer and I am meeting a client about a bid this morning." Mmkay. I hate to break it to you, dude, but I don't think you're going to get the bid whilst reeking of liquor and looking like you haven't slept in 3 days.

After an awkward pause he said, "Do you like brie? You know, brie cheese? I had way too much brie and wine last night. But it's so good. So good."

I felt bad for the guy. I have no idea what drove him to drink so much all night; it could have been something really bad. Or maybe he's just a drunk and doesn't need an excuse to drink. Whatever the reason, he obviously felt bad about it and wanted to cover it up.

The Coolest Thing I've Ever Done

Jennifer and I trekked to Civic Center Park in downtown Denver today for an Obama rally. We figured it would be tough to get in and knew there was little chance we'd get a clear look at Barack Obama. But this is one of those things that I would hate to look back on and regret not doing. So we went.

I have a hard time putting my feelings about this into words. I've never been so invested in anything this big. I feel like our country is at a fork in the road. We can go one way and continue into a downward spiral or we can go another way and begin to dig ourselves back out. And just to clarify, lest you think I am blind behind my rose-colored glasses, I don't think that electing Barack Obama is going to single-handedly revolutionize our country and fix all of our problems. I do think it's a big step in the right direction, though.

I am concerned about the way we are perceived by other nations. Sadly, the Ugly American stereotype is more accurate than ever before. I am worried about the prices of gasoline and groceries, mortgages, education and health care. The average American is stretched so thin, we might begin to split down the middle. I know I feel like that.

I am saddened by the blatant racism I have seen during the last few weeks. You've read my feelings about that before and they have only deepened since then. I am terrified that if Obama isn't elected, those digusting excuses for human beings will feel justified in continuing to spew their hatred on all of us. I want them silenced, or at least brought down a few notches.

It was amazing to have all those feelings solidified this morning. Being in the midst of that crowd of 100,000+ individuals was one of the best moments of my life. The energy and excitement was overwhelming. As schmaltzy as it might sound, it really did give me hope for the future. Going to that rally was, quite simply, the coolest thing I have ever done.

I Was Insulted

Earlier this week a patient's mother stressed to me repeatedly that I must document all phone conversations in her child's chart so there would be no discrepancy when it came time for the insurance company to pay her claim. She said it over and over and over again.

This is insulting to me for several reasons. 1) I am a nurse and documentation is key. 2) I am a good nurse and my documentation is excellent, whether I'm charting patient care or a conversation in person or on the phone. 3) It is our office's policy to document everything to insure consistent patient care. 4) It's just common freaking sense.

I tried to say this politely to this woman, but she didn't seem to get it. Whatever. I sighed and let it go because that was Wednesday. But it happened again today. I spent 15 minutes on the phone with this woman while she repeated that her insurance company is a stickler for correct diagnosis and treatment and documentation. I gritted my teeth and said, "Ma'am, documentation in any medical chart is an absolute must and I assure you that I am writing everything down." She still didn't seem to appreciate my situation.

And to add further to the insult, she actually asked me to falsify documentation. She wanted me to write down that she had tried to come into the office many times this summer for her child's condition but was unable to because there was a family crisis. Seriously? I have no idea if that's why she hasn't been in until now. I don't necessarily doubt her, but I can't write that down. Then she asked me to document that her child's diagnosis is the exact reason he has experienced these particular symptoms for the past 5 months. Again, not my call.

When it became clear that nothing I said would satisfy her, I told her that she could talk to the doctor. I'm still irritated.

An Actual Conversation

I had this conversation during phone banking tonight. I swear, I am not making it up. Not one single word.

Hello, my name is Jessica and I'm calling on behalf of Senator Obama's Campaign for Change. May I speak with Mr. Smith?

This is Mr. Smith.

Mr. Smith, can we count on you to support Senator Barack Obama this fall for President?

No, I'm voting for Ralph Nader.

Okay, well thank you very much for your time.

Wait, will you pay me?

I'm sorry, sir, I didn't quite catch that.

Will you pay me money? Nader is paying me $50.

No, sir I cannot pay you to vote.

I'll vote for Obama if you pay me $60.

I'm sorry, I cannot do that. Thank you for your time.

But wait, I really will vote for Obama. Pay me $60.

Click.

My Kid is Amazing

My eldest child is what I call a high needs child. He was a high needs baby and I predict he'll be a high needs teenager and adult. It requires much patience and creativity to deal with him. As a baby, he needed just the right amount of affection. Too much and he pushed back and voiced his opinion mightily. Too little and he got clingy and whiny.

Solomon has always been imaginative; almost too much so. He can watch a television show or play a video game for just half an hour, but hours later he'll still be going over things that could have happened or should have happened. He is funny and he makes me laugh about something every day. Sometimes he makes me laugh at the worst time, say when I'm upset with him and need to re-direct him.

Solomon's exuberance means that I spend a lot of time reminding him to "use an inside voice, please." I have to be very explicit in my directions and requests. I have to say exactly what I mean because he is very literal. Solomon keeps me on my toes; if I'm not consistent, he'll either call me on it, or walk right over me. He is, at times, exhausting.

I was anxious about the school year starting. Homework has been a large source of contention in our house since first grade. Behavior in class has been a problem to some extent, too. But Solomon transitioned into the school routine very smoothly. He did his homework with a minimum of complaining and actually said, more than once, that he likes some of his homework. He invested himself in school activities like running club and choir and made lots of new friends.

I tried not to get my hopes too high. I thought maybe we were in the honeymoon phase of a new school year. But the days and weeks stretched on and I noticed that Solomon is really helpful at home now. I can ask him to clean the bathroom sink or vacuum the living room and he does it without any problem. He helps his brother and sister with things they can't reach. In short, he's growing up.

This week Solomon's teacher let me know that he would be getting a High Flyer Award for this trimester of the school year. This is an award given to two students in each class, each trimester. These awards go to students who consistently demonstrate responsibility, helpfulness, respect and hard work. I am so happy about this I tear up when I think about it.

At the award ceremony this afternoon I was thrilled to see my child standing on the stage with his ear-to-ear grin. It's a small thing, but that moment made all the anxiety and frustration of the past couple of years worth it.

A Disclaimer

As you can see, I've been a busy little blogger this weekend, mostly political stuff. It's an understatement to say that I am quite vociferous in my opinion of who should be the next President of the United States.

I want to make one thing clear, though. I respect and value the right to vote as an individual sees fit. Americans are so fortunate to have this right and I don't want anyone to think I am telling them how to vote. Your vote is yours.

Voting comes with a responsibility and that responsibility is to educate oneself on the issues. Know your candidate and his stance on those issues. If someone has researched the issues and doesn't agree with me, I can respectfully agree to disagree. If one has not done that, well, I'm disappointed.

If you don't know your candidate's stance on the issues, please look it up. And I mean that for anyone, regardless of your choice in candidates.

(Obviously, if you're blindly voting for Obama, I'll be happy that you're voting for him. But once you know more about him, where he comes from and his vision for the future, you can't help but become passionate about your vote.)

And with that, I'm done with political blogging, for a few days anyway.