Growing Up

Yesterday I took Ruby in to register for kindergarten next year.

She's getting so big so fast.

With her going off to school in the fall, that opens up a whole world of possibilities for me. And I'm just not sure what to do with myself. I'll probably get involved with the county's adult literacy program, which I've wanted to do for years. And I'll probably take the test and get the emergency teaching credential and sub at the kids' school. Then I'll be in a good position for the kids' school breaks, and it gives me flexibility with my schedule.

GRIAF

Ruby drew this at a cub scout dinner:

No, Not Dragons

A conversation with Ruby the other day:

Ruby: Is the king of England mean?
Me: There is no king of England right now. Only a queen.
Ruby: Oh. Squig said the king of England is mean.
Me: Well, Squig is wrong. There is no king. Just a queen. Her name is Elizabeth. 
Ruby: Gasp! Cool!
Me: Her dad was the king, but he died and she became queen. Her husband is a prince because his dad wasn't a king.
Ruby: I bet her mom died too.
Me: Yes, but not very long ago.
Ruby: Oh? Dragons?
Me: No, not dragons, she was very old. I think she was over 100.
Ruby: Like, 200?
Me: No, more like 102.

(the Oh? Dragons? was stated in a very knowing way, as if it were the most obvious option)

Fly on the Wall

Overheard in the car this morning:

Sam (talking about a book): But the one we've read is Aliens Don't Carve Jack O'Lanterns.
Ruby: That's crazy. There's no such thing as aliens. They can't carve Jack O'Lanterns.
Sam: Right.
Ruby: But monsters can carve Jack O'Lanterns.
Sam: Right.

Clean Streets

Okay, for some reason the street sweeper was back on our street today. I'm not sure why, and they haven't been here for months, but I'm not unhappy. John's going to find out why they were here all of a sudden so we can hopefully have them here every week. Like we used to.

As I'm sure none of my faithful readers (all, what two of you?) are aware, the county figured out that our neighborhood wasn't paying into the fund that pays for the street sweeping, so they stopped sweeping in our neighborhood. So, things were getting pretty dirty. Not garbagey dirty, just dirt dirty. The dirt near the storm drain was actually growing plants.

Anyway, everyone I talked to was willing to pay to get the streets swept, but it just takes forever for things to get done.

So, that's the short version. I didn't even do anything--my kind of neighborhood activism!

Inauguration Thoughts

This post turned out to be more rambling than I had intended. And that's okay. It's my blog and I can say what I want. This is America and I get to do that.

I like inauguration days. I think they represent the things I like best about America. One of the things I like best is the peaceful transfer of power. The old president doesn't barricade himself in the Oval Office and declare that he's just not leaving. He finishes up his business, packs up and leaves. And the next president moves in.

Because really, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter who is in the White House. Presidents come and go, but what stays the same are the principles of freedom and democracy that live on in the Constitution. I'm sure lots of people will disagree with me, especially with the current almost cult following of President Obama. And that's okay. One president will be more popular than another, but the president does not make America what it is.

America exists outside of the White House. America is what it is because of the people and the idea that we as individuals choose and agree to abide by the principles in the Constitution. I was always sad when people said they were embarrassed to be an American because George Bush did this or George Bush did that. I never understood that. I am proud to be an American. What the president does or does not do does not change what America is and what it means to be an American. This is, what, the eighth president of my lifetime? And my outlook on life and my goals and hopes for the future have pretty much been the same through them (taking into account changing seasons of life, of course!)

I enjoyed the inauguration. I enjoyed the inaugural speech. I thought it was hopeful and inspiring and expressed many of the things I was feeling today. I don't depend on the President to make me happy. Who the president is or isn't does not change how I live my life. It doesn't change my outlook on life.

I'm optimistic about what comes next. The new president has a lot to live up to. People have placed a lot on him that I doubt any one person can actually live up to. I think people tend to forget that it's actually Congress who makes and passes the laws. The president may be able to influence what makes it through Congress, but he doesn't write the laws, he just signs (or doesn't sign) whatever can make it through.

I hope that the election of President Obama will encourage people to go back home and do something to make a difference in their homes and neighborhoods. Because that's what will make a real "change" in our country. People need to start caring more about what's going on right in their own neighbhorhoods. If you don't like how things are, don't complain and blame the president, just get out there and do something. We don't have much power to change things on a national scale, but we have a great deal of power and influence in our homes and neighborhoods.

And those are pretty much my thoughts. Inauguration days are happy days, always a new beginning. There are many things I like a lot about President Obama, and I think he has the ability to inspire the country to action, and hopefully that will lead to better homes, better families, better neighborhoods, and collectively, a better America. We can always be better.

Thank you, and I'm going to go now and figure out a plan to get the street sweeper back on our street. See? My neighborhood, my responsibility.

Bread

I made bread today. Just plain old homemade white bread. Nothing special. It was pretty tasty, though! A little flat on the top, but still yummy and great with some homemade strawberry jam I had in the freezer.

I have plans to expand my bread making empire. Because it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be.

Thanks for the help Heather!

This is my somewhat flat loaf of bread. I think it looks pretty nice.