ok, mom and dad, i waited a day for this, but as you may have guessed we're all pretty happy out here about the obama victory. i know you feel differently than me about this, but i hope that over the coming months and years that you begin to see that this was a good thing.
election night was incredible. i came home from work early, champagne in hand. this year i was sure. our nanny share partners came over to watch the results with us. they were both really nervous. mike was so nervous that he forgot to add the lime to our margaritas (um, yuck). they all had this fear that the country might go the other way, again. not me, i knew.
the states rolled in slowly. we ate pizza, had drinks and the girls played. then at 7 we sat down to watch stewart & colbert. ha ha, kind of lame, when will this be over? then around 8 pm we started hearing people cheering in the streets, moments later, jon stewart made the announcement. there was cheering and hugging and tears. it was amazing.
hope won.
open the champagne!
i thought mccain's concession speech was good, and the speech of the man that he used to be before this dishonorable campaign that he ran. had that man run, he probably still would have lost, but he'd still have some self-respect and dignity. i feel a little sorry for him that he pissed it all away for nothing.
we kept evie up late to listen to obama's speech. tony & kimberly came up to watch with us. by the time the of the speech evie was getting a little squirrely, but i wanted to be able to tell her that she saw it. i just kept hugging her and feeling much better about the world that she's part of.
hope.
i cried. happy, happy tears.
i was a little unsure of obama when this whole thing started. i worried that he didn't spend the political capital that he went to the senate with. where was the groundbreaking legislation? i love to hear him speak, but then what? then i really started listening to him. and watching him. and i read his first book. and i started to feel excited. i saw him maintain his composure as dirt was slung at him, but he never lowered himself. he stayed calm while his peers scrambled. i started to hope.
eventually my hope didn't have to do with him, but with us. would we as a country be willing to give hope a chance? would we be willing to accept a candidate who wasn't negative. truly, i didn't worry about his race, as much as i worried about whether we were really ready to change enough to let a positive message be the last thing we heard as we stepped into the voting booths.
god bless america! we did it!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
start the morning with a song
so evie has taken to starting her morning with a song. if we don't run in and get her as soon as she wakes up (she refuses to accept the end of daylight savings time and wakes up before 6 each morning), she just lays back in her crib and sings for a while. i cannot imagine a nicer way for my day to start - well other than sleeping till 7.
Monday, November 3, 2008
she makes a pretty picture
this picture is from a couple of weeks ago. evie put on her favorite hat in the morning and was just looking out the front window waiting for the street sweeper to come by. i just ran across it again (i know, i take a lot of pictures) and just had to pause and look at her. i know that i'm totally biased, but i think she is just beautiful.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
breakfast with obama
evie has finally graduated from her high chair to her own table and chairs in the kitchen. she really likes to get up while she's eating and do a little happy dance. we'll have to wait and see how this all works out.
now, the obama picture. that takes a tad more explanation. the rains arrived her starting on friday, so i decided that i needed to have some indoor winter activities at the ready.
hmm. what to do?
collages, of course. so i spent her nap on friday cutting pictures out of magazines, catalogs and a political mailer with a picture of obama. when evie got up from her nap, she wanted to look thru all the pictures. she zoomed right in on "bama" as she calls him. (sorry dad, she recognizes his face and his voice without provocation).
she was so excited about the picture of him, that i decided to put a little stand on the back so that he could sit at the table with her. so far he has shared her peas and blown on her eggs when they were too hot. i think it's quite nice that he can take time out of the campaign to dine with her.
now, the obama picture. that takes a tad more explanation. the rains arrived her starting on friday, so i decided that i needed to have some indoor winter activities at the ready.
hmm. what to do?
collages, of course. so i spent her nap on friday cutting pictures out of magazines, catalogs and a political mailer with a picture of obama. when evie got up from her nap, she wanted to look thru all the pictures. she zoomed right in on "bama" as she calls him. (sorry dad, she recognizes his face and his voice without provocation).
she was so excited about the picture of him, that i decided to put a little stand on the back so that he could sit at the table with her. so far he has shared her peas and blown on her eggs when they were too hot. i think it's quite nice that he can take time out of the campaign to dine with her.
trick or treat!
well this year i went all out and actually got evie a costume. yes, the costume consists of that ladybug hat and her flowery dress (see she's a garden and a ladybug...). yeah, ok, halloween is not my strong suit.
but, no matter. evie had herself a jolly old time anyway, trying her hand, for the first time, at trick or treating. she managed to say trick-or-treat and happy halloween and all that good stuff to me and the other moms, but when she'd walk up to someone handing out candy she just got glazed over and held out her hand.
it seemed to work, cause we had a nice assortment in the bucket when we were finished.
i think evie's going to be a fan of halloween.
as a matter of fact, she liked it so much that she didn't want it to end. thank goodness for the elephant robe from yoko!
but, no matter. evie had herself a jolly old time anyway, trying her hand, for the first time, at trick or treating. she managed to say trick-or-treat and happy halloween and all that good stuff to me and the other moms, but when she'd walk up to someone handing out candy she just got glazed over and held out her hand.
it seemed to work, cause we had a nice assortment in the bucket when we were finished.
i think evie's going to be a fan of halloween.
as a matter of fact, she liked it so much that she didn't want it to end. thank goodness for the elephant robe from yoko!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
early morning heart warming
yesterday morning evie sat down on her potty (unfortunately she only uses it as a chair at this point) to read a book with mike. of course, she needed just the right hat for the occasion.
they were so cute. the picture of them together kept me warm on my chilly ride into work.
they were so cute. the picture of them together kept me warm on my chilly ride into work.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
jam session
evie, charli and inara play a special song for sahana's 30th birthday at the bay area discovery museum.
pretty!
ok, so i'll admit that i wasn't so in love with this dress that grandma got for evie. it's hand painted with a kitten, some flowers and "evelyn". not my style, but you know who's style it is?
that'd be evie's.
yesterday she pulled it out of her closet and asked me to put it on her. she has never been that specific about wanting to wear something before.
i obliged. she was pleased.
when mike got home she ran out of her room wearing the dress, he said "cute", she said "cute. pretty." and then twirled around in circles.
where did this girliness come from?
that'd be evie's.
yesterday she pulled it out of her closet and asked me to put it on her. she has never been that specific about wanting to wear something before.
i obliged. she was pleased.
when mike got home she ran out of her room wearing the dress, he said "cute", she said "cute. pretty." and then twirled around in circles.
where did this girliness come from?
Thursday, October 23, 2008
a tiger in her tank
evie pulled out a crate of clothes that were in her closet and way too big for her when i put them there. turns out she's much bigger now, and there was some good dress-up potential. a few hats, a vest and this fantastic tigger jacket that she very much enjoyed wearing.
my heart was warm all thru her breakfast.
my heart was warm all thru her breakfast.
Monday, October 20, 2008
family is sinking in
we put together a little photo book of evie's cousins in upper michigan before our last visit, so she'd have a feel for who everyone was. it quickly became known as "myah". she'd ask for it before bedtime, and just look through it over and over again asking "who's that?"
it's a fun game, but you wonder how much of it is sinking in.
today we got taylor's new school picture from grandma. i pulled it out, showed it to evie and asked "who's that?" with no other prompting from me, she said with excitement "taylor".
hey, she's learning stuff!
it's a fun game, but you wonder how much of it is sinking in.
today we got taylor's new school picture from grandma. i pulled it out, showed it to evie and asked "who's that?" with no other prompting from me, she said with excitement "taylor".
hey, she's learning stuff!
check out these fish!
we went to the california academy of sciences last week, and evie was overwhelmed with excitement with all of the things to see. fish tank after fish tank, an albino alligator, penguins and a whole lot more. she just kept running from tank to tank yelling "wow" and squealing with delight.
i suspect we will visit often over the coming years.
the thing i found that was really interesting was that evie usually sticks very close to me in a crowd. even in moderate sized groups she becomes an extra appendage, but not this day. there was too much to see. no matter that the place was packed, she just took off every chance she got to explore. i can't say that i loved this new found independence, it means a lot more vigilance on our part, but it does feel good to see her spreading her wings a bit.
i suspect we will visit often over the coming years.
the thing i found that was really interesting was that evie usually sticks very close to me in a crowd. even in moderate sized groups she becomes an extra appendage, but not this day. there was too much to see. no matter that the place was packed, she just took off every chance she got to explore. i can't say that i loved this new found independence, it means a lot more vigilance on our part, but it does feel good to see her spreading her wings a bit.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
and then it just hits you
we went back to the hardly strictly bluegrass festival with evie on saturday. i really wanted to get there in time to see three girls and their buddy (patty griffin, emmylou harris, shawn colvin and buddy miller). evie fell asleep in the backpack on the way over. it was a beautiful, sunny day when we got to the park. the place was packed, but we found a nice place to stand off to the side. nice view, good sound. made it there about halfway through the set.
emmylou's singing. very nice.
more songs. those are three beautiful women's voices and some great guitar.
feeling very good about living in san francisco.
last song of the set. patty griffin singing "mary" - the way she always closes her shows.
beautiful song.
evie nuzzled into my back while she sleeps.
look off to my side and i see a woman with her pre-teen daughter. arms wrapped around each other swaying to the music.
i see my future.
and then it just hits me. wham. i'm completely overwhelmed by the love that i feel for evie. next thing i know i'm weeping.
weird.
enjoy the video, picture me wiping tears away.
emmylou's singing. very nice.
more songs. those are three beautiful women's voices and some great guitar.
feeling very good about living in san francisco.
last song of the set. patty griffin singing "mary" - the way she always closes her shows.
beautiful song.
evie nuzzled into my back while she sleeps.
look off to my side and i see a woman with her pre-teen daughter. arms wrapped around each other swaying to the music.
i see my future.
and then it just hits me. wham. i'm completely overwhelmed by the love that i feel for evie. next thing i know i'm weeping.
weird.
enjoy the video, picture me wiping tears away.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
strictly fun
for the second year in a row we brought evie to the hardly strictly bluegrass festival in golden gate park. this totally amazing, free concert that one man (warren hellman) gives to the city as his annual gift. it's one of the things that makes san francisco a really special place to live.
this year we were fortunate to be joined by joe and angela, who enjoyed the people watching as much as the music.
evie also had a blast, though i'm not exactly sure what she was signing in this photo:
any ideas?
click on either of the pics to see MANY more pictures from the day. also, a little video from the event. that'd be alison krauss and robert plant performing in the background while we dance.
this year we were fortunate to be joined by joe and angela, who enjoyed the people watching as much as the music.
evie also had a blast, though i'm not exactly sure what she was signing in this photo:
any ideas?
click on either of the pics to see MANY more pictures from the day. also, a little video from the event. that'd be alison krauss and robert plant performing in the background while we dance.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
early morning cuddles
evie was up early this morning. like 5:30 early. but she was in a warm and cuddly mood, so i didn't mind so much. we looked out her window for a while, then out the front window - hoping to catch a glimpse of the garbage truck (i know, the excitement!). at one point she just got in her little rocker and cuddled with the stuffed bear from grandma. was very happy that i got a picture.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
tuning in the world
while television's bounty provides evie with some passing interest, it's nothing compared to her fascination with looking out her bedroom window.
it seems being able to see a busy street and a freeway exit from her room are the next best things to sliced bread - only made better by the fact that we appear to be in the flight path of planes going to/from sfo. and on the occasions when the moon is up, that's yet another bonus.
i sometimes feel a little bad about our hyper-urban surroundings, with no yard, and the most "open" space being the rental car lot behind us and our little patch of cement surrounded by razor wire. i'm glad that evie doesn't seem to share in this regret.
it seems being able to see a busy street and a freeway exit from her room are the next best things to sliced bread - only made better by the fact that we appear to be in the flight path of planes going to/from sfo. and on the occasions when the moon is up, that's yet another bonus.
i sometimes feel a little bad about our hyper-urban surroundings, with no yard, and the most "open" space being the rental car lot behind us and our little patch of cement surrounded by razor wire. i'm glad that evie doesn't seem to share in this regret.
Friday, September 26, 2008
channeling brenda vaccaro
well it's been an interesting week. last friday night evie woke up around midnight and had a fever. i dosed her with tylenol, held her for a while and put her back to bed. over the weekend it was a pretty low-grade fever, except for one night at 103.5. on monday, it all seemed to be over. never any real signs as to what the problem was.
flash forward two days.
i get home from work on wednesday and the low fever is back, and she's got a cough like i've never heard come out of someone so small before. sounds like a three pack a day habit. throw on top of that a very raspy voice. think brenda vaccaro. if you're too young to know who that is, think kathleen turner. if you're too young to know who that is, i have no other references, just think awfully deep for an 18 month old (btw, she turned 1.5 on tuesday!).
the terrible cough, the low fever, the no appetite (!) all got me quite concerned, so we went into the doc yesterday, just to make sure it wasn't pneumonia. thankfully, it's not. not an ear infection either. just a really lousy cold. and a cough that breaks my heart every time i hear it.
it's friday today, but we're going to skip our usual group activities and just hang out together. lots of cuddling, and maybe a trip to the zoo. when she's better, i'm going to need a very large drink!
flash forward two days.
i get home from work on wednesday and the low fever is back, and she's got a cough like i've never heard come out of someone so small before. sounds like a three pack a day habit. throw on top of that a very raspy voice. think brenda vaccaro. if you're too young to know who that is, think kathleen turner. if you're too young to know who that is, i have no other references, just think awfully deep for an 18 month old (btw, she turned 1.5 on tuesday!).
the terrible cough, the low fever, the no appetite (!) all got me quite concerned, so we went into the doc yesterday, just to make sure it wasn't pneumonia. thankfully, it's not. not an ear infection either. just a really lousy cold. and a cough that breaks my heart every time i hear it.
it's friday today, but we're going to skip our usual group activities and just hang out together. lots of cuddling, and maybe a trip to the zoo. when she's better, i'm going to need a very large drink!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
not quite what i'd had in mind
we had our normal friday outing last week, and decided to try out a new mom-owned business in the city. mani & nanny - you get a manicure/pedicure, they watch your kid.
brilliant.
we walked up to the saloon from our normal meeting place, which meant a good two mile walk. felt good to get the ol' legs moving. evie fell asleep on the walk, so she was sleeping when we arrived. i had visions of her sleeping thru my pedicure.
it was not to be.
she woke up by the time the lady got to my second foot. and she was not so keen on hanging out in the playroom with the nanny and the other kids.
actually, none of them were all that keen on staying in the playroom. they found running around the main saloon a whole lot more fun. being a mom-owned business, they were pretty cool with our monsters running wild. evie spent a lot of the pedicure in my lap. the manicurist even buffed her nails, much to her delight.
brilliant.
we walked up to the saloon from our normal meeting place, which meant a good two mile walk. felt good to get the ol' legs moving. evie fell asleep on the walk, so she was sleeping when we arrived. i had visions of her sleeping thru my pedicure.
it was not to be.
she woke up by the time the lady got to my second foot. and she was not so keen on hanging out in the playroom with the nanny and the other kids.
actually, none of them were all that keen on staying in the playroom. they found running around the main saloon a whole lot more fun. being a mom-owned business, they were pretty cool with our monsters running wild. evie spent a lot of the pedicure in my lap. the manicurist even buffed her nails, much to her delight.
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