Our Bold Adventure Continues

M+O's school just started a letter-based show and tell once a week. There's a letter of the week and kids bring in something that starts with that letter's sound. The letters are in random order and M+O's teachers gave us a handout and a list of each week's letters through the end of the calendar year. The first week I nearly blew it with "m," but as we raced out the door I remembered and directed the kids to grab something. O found a stuffed mouse and M brought in a couple of magnets (noting, of course that SHE began with the "m" sound so she didn't actually have to bring anything). This week I vowed to be better. The sound was "t" and the night before show and tell we went all over the house collecting "t" things. It was a game, and we all had fun with it -- their phonics skills are good enough that with most things they can tell you what letter a word starts with. We made a little line of our finds: truck, train, tambo...

With the economy depressing us all, I thought I'd post something to make us laugh. This first one is my favorite of the three. There's a buzz about this first piece, both with people I know and now on NPR. It's funny. But it's for real -- really trying to get Jewish people to get their relatives in Florida to vote for Obama. (Don't take the language seriously.) The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo . This parody of the Vice Presidential debate will make you laugh. Or else, you're a McCain supporter and we probably shouldn't talk politics right now.

There are days when I fantasize about having free time the way a person dying of dehydration must fantasize about water. Those days are frequent. But there are also days when I think I have it together pretty well, even though I know things below the surface, or in my laundry room, or desk, or bills pile are about to explode. Occasionally there are times like tonight when Jon is halfway around the world and the house is quiet, kitchen is clean, lunches are made for tomorrow and I look around content. While there are things to do, nothing seems urgent, but then I find something un-done that's been un-done for a long time, like the photos I still haven't finished pasting into my wedding album, and I realize it's all a ruse. Even when I feel I have everything all together, I don't. Having it together seems unattainable. Many of my friends are moms who don't work. Conversely, few of my friends are working mothers. Most of my working mother friends have older children, c...