18 November 2008

November Update

First, some photos:








Toad decided to be Anakin Skywalker instead of Darth Vader this year, so we've set the Darth Vader costume aside for next year. Birdy was a very cute Yoda. She made it to several houses before they dropped her off at home and then Toad and Hammer Guy walked the loop around the neighborhood. Birdy loves candy and has very much enjoyed eating treats out of her pumpkin.

Toad's Thanksgiving program was last Thursday. The picture is a little blurry but you can see him front and center in the Mayflower. We had a potluck Thanksgiving feast afterward. It was very fun and Ms. K has a wonderful group of families.

Our last big purchase for the year arrived. It's called the Learning Tower. Both kids love to help in the kitchen, but because Birdy is still pretty young, I worried about her falling off the chair and landing on her head. After I'd placed the order for the Tower, she did just that! So I'm thrilled with this enormous addition to our kitchen. Toad also likes to play hide-n-seek with it and cover it with a large blanket and read in his "fort." It can also be used as a desk. Love it love it love it.

The big news of November is that I am leaving the retail world. My last day of dealing with the increasingly crabby general public is Saturday. I've taken a position in Human Resources with a small company that places in-home childcare. I start there on Monday. I am looking forward to many, many things:

**No more crabby customers (did I mention that already?)
**Weekends off
**Helping put the kids to bed every night
**Weekends off
**More time to write and submit my work
**Weekends off
**Not having to wear a uniform (it's been twelve years!)
**Weekends off
**A clean house
**Weekends off

Well, you get the picture. And I don't have to work on Black Friday! Hurray!

November -- it's a sad month for our family. Toad and I spent some time this weekend talking about Grandpa B. It's been two years since he left us and it's still so hard. I wish that Birdy had gotten to meet him, but at least he knew she was on her way. My dad supported me in everything I wanted to do, especially my writing, and I feel like I've let him down by not continuing with it. I'm going to be a writer, I swear I am. My whole life, it's what I've wanted. It's time to make it happen.

I'm inspired and motivated by the tagline for Jake's Life is Good brand: "Do what you like. Like what you do." There were many things that I liked about my job in retail management, but there were so, so many things that I did not. I'm hopeful that I will love my new job, that it won't be as stressful, that I will find balance, that I will have more time for my family and be a better mom and a better wife. And maybe when I find that balance, the doors to my writing career will open wide again as well.

05 November 2008

Post-Election Exhaustion

Yesterday was a historic day for this country. In record numbers the citizens of this country voiced their opinions and exercised their right to vote. Even our sleepy little town on the Crow River had record turnout, and I am proud to say that I was a part of it. From 6 am until 9:30 pm I served as an election judge. The bulk of my duties was to register new voters -- we had approximately 300 new registrants and I personally registered almost 250 of them. The day flew by (unlike the primary election). It was exciting and challenging and I will definitely serve as an election judge in the future.

The only drawback was being unable to watch the returns come in. Ever since I was a little kid, I've been glued to the tv on election night waiting for results. I got home last night and turned on the tv just in time to see McCain's concession speech and Obama's acceptance.

The day after an election brings with it many emotions. Usually there is some elation and some disappointment. I am feeling both today, certainly. I will refrain from sharing too many of my political views, but I will say this: I am appalled that the majority of consituents of my congressional district chose to send Michele Bachmann back to Washington. It would seem that her main objective these last two years was to manage photo opps with President Bush. I had hoped that her comments on Hardball would have been enough to put El Tinklenberg ahead. Alas, it was not enough.

Oh, our sleepy little city has a new mayor by a majority of 14 votes!