Fun Mother-Daughter Fair Time

Heavy emphasis on corn, ice cream, bacon, and hair...

See you next year, Yogi!

Sleep

Easter Lesson

"So, then what's the deal with Easter Bunny and all the candy?"

"Well, the eggs represent new beginnings and it's just kind of a fun way to celebrate Easter."

"But it's a pretty good way to bribe kids and make them believe in God and Jesus, huh? 'Cause even God knows kids LOVE candy."

Rabbit

Fun with fotos

Hope has been using the camera the past few days. This weekend we are watching Brad and Emily's dogs so Hope has some fun subjects to shoot. And now she's learning to use Picnik to edit her pictures. Rudy doesn't seem to mind.

First 5K

Frankly, I was surprised we made it around the lake in under an hour. Hope has never run farther than the kids do in gym and we had never run together. She was amazing. And she says she'll never ever do it again.

Hope really likes that game

I heard noises coming from her room this morning and found her in her bed with a flashlight and mancala board:

Whitney had a glass of wine and posted her thoughts on her blog.

1. I hope President Obama succeeds and I hope he does it by adopting some libertarian ideals regarding freedom.

2. I love pomp and circumstance.

3. I am afraid that people are going to pound on President Bush for a long time.

4. I am bothered that President Obama mentioned global warming in his address. I'm not sure the jury is in on that one.

5. I am coming to grips with the fact that Minnesota maybe voted Al Franken into office. May I add that I loved Stuart Smalley? I blame myself; in a last-minute decision I cast my vote for Barkley.

6. The President Obama family is a.dor.a.ble. and I hope they ADOPT a dog instead of going out and buying a designer pooch. Even more awesome-er; adopt an Iraqi mongrel.

7. In my 3rd reincarnation I might go for Secret Service Agent.

8. In a run-off vote for VP I would have had a hard time deciding between the two. One one hand Biden had/has the potential to be very entertaining. On the other hand, Sarah Palin had the potential to be very entertaining. And when it comes down to it, mother of 17 living in Alaska gets my vote. She's way more man than I or Biden will ever be.

9. I am in favor of term limits. 30+years as a senator seems like "let somebody else have a turn."

10. The GQ/Maxim-ization of President Obama is skeevy.

11. (One louder, like Spinal Tap) I hope that President Obama inspires people to be good and decent to each other.

Grooming

Recently, Hope has taken an odd interest in the appearance of her hair and has actually been brushing it before school and won't wear her hat in the morning. She seems to have given up the dread locks.

Something smells fishy...

"Hope, your hair looks so nice! I see you've decided to brush it. That's great!"

"Well if I don't I don't, QiuQin Laoshi does it and it HURTS. That's why I can't wear my hat to school anymore!"

Young pianist

No more talking -- Chinese or otherwise!

(Conversation at Tucking-in Time:)

Mom. You wanna know how to say "good night" in Mandarin Chinese?

Sure. How do you say it?

"Chin chow so see ta."

That's really good, Hope.

Mom. You wanna know how to say "bed" in Chinese?

How do you say it?

You say, "Asha no tee ta."

Well that's great Hope. You really learned a lot today! Good night!

You wanna know how to say "see ya in the morning" in Mandarin Chinese?

OK. Last one. How do you say it?

"Yo cho."

OK, Hope. I learned a lot today, too. Good night. I love you. Go to sleep! NO MORE TALKING!

Hope (in general)

This post isn't about our daughter even though she has that meaningful word for a name. She's got her own little, good thing going on today; her daddy brought home the long-awaited, library-copy DVD for Snow White. We were on the waiting list forEVER and so when he brought it home we popped it in and it was all scratchy. I buffed it up and she got to watch it this morning. Since the moment the movie ended she has been fluttering about, quite obviously acting out every scene from the movie. Peggy is lucky (?) enough to play all the supporting roles. I think she's serving as a stand-in for almost every dwarf, the witch, and Prince Charming. Hope is dancing all over the house.

Setting her Disney-induced happiness to the side for just a sec...

There has been a lot of major and minor sadness and worry in the lives of several of my friends and relatives recently. As I was searching for music online this afternoon, I came across a song cycle by Jocelyn Hagen. I was lucky to be singing with our church choir when the choir performed one of Jocelyn's choral compositions. Anyway, this song cycle is set to poems by Emily Dickenson. The series of songs is called, Hope, so it jumped out at me. The third song in the set has these words:

I shall know why
when time is over
and I refuse to wonder why
Christ shall explain each separate anguish
in that fair schoolroom of the sky.

You can go to her publishing site and listen to samples and read the other texts.

Shine on you crazy diamond

Nothing prepares you for a weekend with the relatives like a good cranium-polishing session with Hope.

Is my daughter a spy?

She has been persistent in repeating this message to me today, whispering it in my ear:

"The secret to 'uh-veye' [as in eye] is FRIENDS."

I've asked for clarification but there seems to be no more information. She repeats the statement. Where does it comes from? What I am supposed to do with this semi-urgent message?

UPDATE: She's finally confessed it is something from "Sunshine Bear."

Sketch comedy

You know the SNL skits from the last season with Amy Poehler as the little girl named "Caitlin" and Horatio Sanz as the older guy "Rick?" Hope acted one of those skits in the kitchen this morning. The electrical subcontrator came today to hook up lights and switches in the new room. I barely know him but Hope acts like she and he are old friends:

Hey Chuck! Hey! CHUCK! Guess WHAT! Guess what we're gonna do today? First we're gonna go to the Y and go to Kids' Stuff and my mom is gonna exercise and my brother is gonna come with me because it's late start today at school and he's gonna go to school after we go to the Y but GUESS WHAT CHUCK! We're gonna take our coins to the Y and guess what we're gonna do!! We're gonna buy a TREAT! And we get to eat it in the VAN! Isn't that GREAT!?

Chuck was nice enough to say that he thought that it all was "great." What he didn't say, but his body language revealed, was that things would be even greater if we could go to the Y as soon as possible so he could work in peace.

Time travel

I need help. If Hope asks me one more time, "After today is it gonna be tomorrow?" and then, "Is it tomorrow now?" I might start pulling hair out, too. We've looked at calendars and crossed of the days but nothing sticks. If you have ideas, send them my way.

It's the little things

Hope's tangled hair is long enough for braids now so today I said, "Hope what say we put some braids in your hair?" Hope said, "Okay."

Her braids are no more that 1.5 inches long but she is head-over-heels in love with her hair. It's like Christmas to the power of ten. She's running around in circles fondling them and giggling and laughing and checking them in the mirror every three seconds. It's the epitome of happiness. Give her a couple more years and we'll all be calling her "Rapunzel."

Peggy Lexie Hanson

Apparently a middle name has been bestowed:

The best present

We had soap class and we put in the water and the color and then there was soap! It's for boys AND for girls!!