McCain Supporters

God. Perhaps you could just take some guidance from Sr. McCain himself - and show some graciousness, some class in your loss.

Someone stole the Obama sign from my yard today - and my neighbors. Guess it was just too much for them to handle today. At least they didn't further vandalize my home - just stole from me in their inability to deal with their loss.

Furious.

**sigh**

Oh well. Sucks to be them!

mmmm....pomegranite

They had these huge pomegranites on sale 2 for the price of 1 at the grocery store so I bought them. I love them and always found them sort of special and neat, ever since I was a kid. They stain worse than anything I've ever seen - but man they taste good. Mike peeled this HUGE one and it filled a good size cereal bowl and we sat and ate it all with spoons. Alex tried one tiny seed and declared it awful and spit it out. LOL! They're fun to use at holidays b/c they're pretty and so red. I have a killer concept photograpy piece I bought from a young Chicago artist who did a piece on the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades (lured by a pomegranite. Anyway - they only come around a certain time of year so I shot a macro of this one above. Do you like pomegranites?

Halloween 08 with the Ironman

From my entry last night into my journal - Letters to Alex

October 31, 2008
Halloween

Tonight you were “Ironman”. The only one on the block! You got so many compliments about your cool costume b/c of the lcd light that blinked in the front like Ironman.  It was awesome. You were and are sooo handsome. I didn’t think you could be any more handsome than the drop dead gorgeous Red Power Ranger you were last year – but you were a stunning Ironman as well!

Daddy came to your daycare’s Halloween parade and party (Mommy had to work) and then we came home and put together glow in the dark bracelets to leave on the front porch so we could both go trick or treating with you. Neither Mommy nor Daddy was willing to miss out on doing that with you! Watched some Goosebumps on tv and then Mommy got dressed up in the Hello Kitty Princess costume you pickd out for her and you got into your Ironman suit.

We joined our neighbors across the street – Annie & Eugene and their little boy Tristan (your buddy) and baby Lauren. You trick or treated for an hour and a half! You were to scared to go to one yard – the man was dressed super scary and you wouldn’t approach him. Smart kid! ;) You were braver than last year – would go to scarier houses this time more than last year.

It was a grand time. You stopped about halfway through, you were tired – and said “I love you Mommy” and I kissed you and told you I loved you too. You have no idea how those moments you make happen for me burn into my heart for life and let me realize (again) how blessed I am to have you in my life kiddo. You are so loving and sweet to me.

You got tired and made Daddy carry you on his shoulders the last block home. We came home and split the candy –all the sugar for you – all the chocolate for Daddy (you don’t like chocolate!!). Did the bath, watched a Halloween Vampire Power Rangers Mystic Force episode, read the current favorite book after brushing teeth (Yummy Alphabet Book) and you fell asleep in my arms in the rocker during “the family song”.

Happy Halloween punkin’ – Mommy loves you more than you’ll ever know. **kiss**

trip to the aquarium

We took a trip to the Dallas Aquarium this past weekend. :)

my little hulk

Alex turned four yesterday. This was his favorite present. My little HULK.

More later -

YEA BABY

I woke up to two great things:

1. The kidnapped little boy was found in Vegas, alive, well!!

2. Colin Powell - former Secretary of State for George Bush, Republican, General -endorsed Obama. :) Go ahead - tell me it's "b/c he's black" and I'll laugh at you. That would be minimizing Powell considerably. Wow - that's got to HURT McCain - again, a Republican, a General, former Bush Sec. of State.

:) What a great day. My cousin Nikki put brought my Obama yard sign yesterday and it's up and my neighbor across the street asked if she could have my other one when it shows up. :) She was so happy to see one of her neighbors finally put up an Obama sign - lol!

put on the rose colored glasses

I had already gotten in the habit of skipping the 10 o'clock news because I live in a big dangerous city and well, it was just too depressing. I tend to absorb a lot of the world's feelings/emotions due to my capacity for empathy, etc.

Lately I've been flat out addicted to talk radio and CNN in my obsession with this year's presidential election. The problem is, in addition to the depressing reality of the economic recession, the sleaze of politicians, the ignorance of the masses, the display of hate, racism, close minded mob effects -

there's the rest of the news.

Two stories hit me HARD this week outside of the political realm.

The first one was about a female music teacher at a school who had a transgender operation over the summer and returned as a man. When the kids returned to find Ms. Patty was now Mr. Pat - (the face didn't change much and kids aren't stupid) - and nothing was said to them to prepare them - many of them went home freaked out. Many parents said something along the lines of “wow, we wish the school or teacher would have inform3ed us so we could discuss the hugely complicated and very adult issue with our kids as they return to school.” School Administration says “thanks to privacy acts and a very litigious society, we can’t discuss personal facts of teachers so we couldn’t”. Some parents pull kids b/c it’s just too complicated and heavy a subject they may not be ready to discuss with their children yet and I think that’s their right. I also GET the privacy issue – but this is not new teacher shows up and used to be the opposite sex is a transgender - this is the same teacher returned to the same school after making this choice and did not take it upon himself to discuss this with his students. This leaves a GIANT "elephant" in the classroom that what - the kids are supposed to initiate conversation over? The kids are supposed to just accept and not mention? I mean come on! This is you introduced a very adult subject to our kids w/out our knowledge and surely there is some responsibility as a teacher when you choose to make a decision like this and return to the same school. They can do it – but shouldn’t they own the decision and all that comes with it instead of presenting a giant elephant in the classroom that will confuse or freak out some kids – shouldn’t it be discussed b/c it is an absolute that it does indeed psychologically effect some kids and the parents have a right to decide if they want to deal with that with their kids at this time or not? No litigation – I don’t think the school should be sued, but I totally get the parent’s frustration and why some pulled their kids. I believe many would not necessarily have a problem that it’s a transgender so much as last year my kid knew you as Mrs. Patty and now you’re Mr. Pat and you never discussed it with the kids you interact with – don’t they deserve some communication about something so very real and heavy?

and then of course the week ends today with this incredibly fucking awful story

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/10/17/nevada.boy.kidnapped/index.html

Suffice to say, in addition to the obvious horror of this story, and the fact I'm a Mommy, but remember, I've also lived as a child who had men dressed as policeman break down their door and restrain their parents. In my case, they were real policemen, and they were handcuffs and not rope - but it was still an experience I didn't need triggered - mixed with the horror that would ensue anyway from a story like this. This literally put me into an anxiety attack and tears for half the day.

God. The world can really suck.

Sooooo - the good news? The good news is tomorrow is Alex's 4th birthday party. :nod: Monday is his birthday and we've taken the day off to spend it with him. So for the next three days, I'm going to turn off CNN and enjoy my beautiful loving child and realize that my part of the world doesn't suck.

I hope yours doesn't either. :)

Mary

P.S. My dad from Oregon comes to meet Alex and Wuzza for the first time next weekend!!