Jeff Smith, [fictional] man of integrity

I was finding myself a little bit discouraged yesterday to read on the news about another politician confessing infidelity.

I really don't know where to take this post without it ending cynically. I'm usually the optimist but when it comes to politics these days it seems increasingly difficult to believe there are selfless and moral leaders out there.

Last night Richard and I watched Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. If you haven't seen it I recommend it. It had been recommended to me many times before I finally watched it.

I thought about the goodness in people. Somewhere inside the complicated soul is a belief that what they do and accomplish as a public servant must not conflict with a moral code. Love thy neighbor, for example. Do people still believe that?

In addition, watching the movie made me slightly paranoid about what corrupted and self-interested groups are biasing my opinions.

That is almost too scary of an idea to entertain.

I do believe in hope. So for now I'll hold on to it. Hoping that there are men and women out there working from their conscience and the constitution.

Without a doubt I love my country. A quote from the movie:

"Liberty's too precious a thing to be buried in books... Men should hold it up in front of them every single day of their lives and say: I'm free to think and to speak. My ancestors couldn't, I can, and my children will. "

the backyard

Who needs a sandbox when you have a mound of dirt and sod in a weed-infested flowerbed?

Now I have a new excuse for not doing something about that abandoned flowerbed. Where would the boys play? Now as for the other neglected flowerbeds... I have no excuse.

Oh wait! I'm pregnant. That covers just about everything.

so hip

One of those moments where I am just dying to know what Cameron is thinking about...

There are a few things that drive Eli crazy. When he is wearing pants and tennis shoes is it absoutely necessary that the bottom cuff of his pants covers the shoelaces. If a shoelace pokes out or becomes untied he refuses to move and cries until someone remedies the situation. Just a little Eli quirk.

Another of Eli's vices in the sunshine. If the sun is in his eyes he is paralyzed and you see a situation similar to the one described above. I first discovered this one day as we went for a walk. He was in the stroller and just covered his eyes with his hands until the sun was at his back. This trick doesn't work so well when he is walking though...

So I made him a sunhat but that seemed to cramp his style. The other day at the park after repeated fits about the sun, a friend offered Eli her little boy's sunglasses that he wasn't using. That settled it. By the end of the day Eli had his own pair of sunglasses. And you know how it goes, whatever one child has the other must have too.

cravings

I wouldn't say that my "cravings" during pregnancy are much different than when I am not pregnant except for one thing. I feel totally justified in indulging them. When an average everyday craving comes along during a non-pregnant time I typically just acknowledge it, and then forget about it. But during pregnancy I feel entitled to whatever it is I want and I will go to great lengths to have it.

For this reason, the SnoCone shack down the street is going to make a pretty penny off my business this summer. I told Richard I was just going to start at the beginning of the list of flavors and work my way through. He insisted we wouldn't be getting that many snow cones this summer. (Have you seen those lists?) I compromised and agreed to eliminate any flavor that had banana in its name.

The other thing I have been craving lately is cherries. Conveniently, this weekend was the Cherry Festival in Emmett, a neighboring community. We drove the 40 minutes out there and spent the better part of Saturday. Interestingly though, we found no cherries.

The carnival food was a bonus for the pregnant lady.

A woman nearby laughed as I tried in vain to get all three boys to smile and look at me at the same moment. She must be a mother.

It's not exactly true that we didn't see any cherries. There were a couple options for purchasing cherries but only in wee quantities for a colossal price. A local informed me that in the local newspaper I might find some orchards selling cherries for a fair price, especially if you do the picking yourself.


Now we're talking!

credit for Gordon

I want to dedicate this post to my father-in-law and his great wisdom. I hope he doesn't mind. Since Richard and I have been married I have been introduced to many Gordon-isms that I thought were clever but I didn't really understand. Now, as I have children of my own and they get older and find more ways to make parenting difficult I have come to really appreciate the meaning of his phrases.

Today one in particular really resonated with me. Cameron failed to get the toilet seat up in time and urinated all over the bathroom floor. After I finished my stern lecture Cameron said the famous words

"I didn't mean to."

In true Bird form, without even thinking I responded

"Well mean NOT to!"

I've heard that phrase over and over in mock tones from Richard and his family members but today when I said it I meant it with every desperate fiber of my motherly being.

Do whatever it is you need to to do to prevent that from happening. I understand that it was an accident but that doesn't mean you are without responsibility. You neglected to do what it was you were supposed to do in the first place.

I can already tell that I will be using this reply whenever one of my children dares utter the words

"I didn't mean to."

two small people produce a very small person

When I was in Peru I got really irritated with people who would take what we were giving out (shoes, blankets, clothing) even if it wasn't the right size or they didn't need it. They just took it because it was free. I commented on this to one of my travel companions and she pointed out that we are the same way in the United States. I immediately thought of various dental conferences I have attended where people take the Oral-B plastic bag and fill it with pens, frisbies, and various other freebies with company logos printed on them. I've done this myself, only to either throw those items away or give them to a second-hand store. (Except the pens.)

So I determined I would not be one of those people who are addicted to hand-outs. But in spite of this, and in spite of my chronic rhinitis, and also because it requires a second mortgage to take your family to the movies, I took the boys to the free movie. I also don't like to break rules but if you think getting in to the movie is expensive wait until you hit concessions. So I guiltily smuggled cookies into the theater.
Mom! That flash is too bright!

We had a good time. And I loved me some Moto Moto.

After the movie we went to Carl's Jr. for lunch. Richard and I have long been disgusted with the marketing campaign of Carl's Jr. I feel like my cholesterol goes up just from watching the commerical. But alas, CJ's has a play structure and in the spirit of rainy day summer fun I decided to indulge the boys. It's really too bad that Pita Pit or Costa Vida don't have play structures.

I hate play structures for all the obvious reasons. Germs, bullies, etc. But today I discovered a new reason to dislike them. Eli is small. I've always known this, and selfishly enjoyed it because his clothes fit longer and it is easy to hold and carry him. But today after his repeated efforts to climb up where the other kids his age and Cameron's age were playing he was frustrated and disappointed. He was forced to play in the area meant for the little kids, too small to climb. He was surrounded by toddlers still learning to walk. I received many compliments on his language abilities but I reassured the on-looking mothers of his actual age. For the first time I wished he were bigger and he could reach the steps (or maybe shelves is a better word?) up to the slides and tunnels.
Oh, and one more reason I hate play structures. If your child is anything less than angelic you have to make a fool of yourself when it is time to go home. You can choose between begging, pleading and shouting threats up into the tunnels. Or you can awkwardly climb up into the maze yourself to retrieve him. Both are humiliating.

in a funk

I have to give credit to my [also pregnant] sister for that phrase. It just fits.

Blame it on the pregnancy. Blame it on the lousy weather. Blame it on other disappointing circumstances in my life. It doesn't really matter. The last few days I have experienced some serious mood swings. Is there such a thing as ante-partum depression?

Yesterday I spent the better part of the day lying on the couch. I do have a bad cold if that better justifies my pathetic behavior.

Today I woke up to another rainy day. I didn't notice any lightning in the sky but this afternoon I was struck by a metaphorical bolt that electrified me out of my funk.

My last two patients at work were a married couple in their late 70s. The wife was diagnosed with alzheimers about three years ago, a few months before I cleaned her teeth for the first time. Over six month increments I have watched the disease change her and today was a new low point.

She was anxious and mistrusting. She insisted everything I did was "horrible".

I'm so glad that my mind is clear and rational. (Mostly rational.) I'm resolved to use my functional mind to enjoy the blessings I have.

kids love bubbles

Something about the summer... everything is just better. Even on a cloudy day you can enjoy the warm weather and the green grass. If only I had a nice camera and my kids were wearing preppy clothes, that would just be too perfect.