Day 30 of 61. Since 61 is an odd number, we decided today is halfway. Whohoo! It's all downhill from here. Unless... let's not think about that. I'm sure Doug will be home for Christmas. We are planning to drive all the way to Frankfurt, all of us, to pick him up in December. We got the winter tires, the anti-freeze, we're ready! Well, one little thing is wrong with the car: the radio died. That's very unfortunate because I rather like music in the car and so do the children. Also, traffic warnings for the Autobahn. Alas, car radios are expensive. Bottom of the repair/replacement list. Maybe we'll just start singing instead.
But, back to today. The day after the day before, as Jon Stewart called it. This is how and when I started the day: I woke up at 3:45 am because a little boy came to my room, complaining of bad dreams and asking after the election. He snuggled into the covers and was out within seconds. Me, not so much. I was awake, so I thought I could just as well check on the race. I was a bit confused - Florida wasn't called, it seemed Romney had overwhelming numbers. I checked with my husband who told me all would be okay and I should go back to sleep.
I tried. Really, I did. I gave up when the clock tower rang 5 am. I got up, made a huge pot of coffee, built a fire, and turned on CNN. Much better.
State after state rolled in. The numbers turned. The numbers started looking good. When they called Ohio, I cried. Then they called the race and I cried some more. It was very, very nice. I went to wake up the kids. No, no, it was their usual wake-up time. I'm not cruel.
Jacob, eyes still closed: "Who won the election?"
"Obama did. Congratulations, little boy, to your new old President."
Big smile, eyes still closed. "I knew it."
What can you say to that? He's his father's son.
The kids were excited and happy and got up much easier than on normal days. I shot a memory picture:
Brainwash achieved.
Alan dawdled and dawdled because he wanted to watch the acceptance speech but he was long gone to school when Obama finally took the stage in Chicago. He'll be watching one of the many, many reruns on TV tonight, I suppose.
And life goes on.
David passed his bike test:
He was very pleased. He will also play Santa Claus in the Christmas play. He had to audition for it and he made the cut. I had no idea, none, that he was even remotely interested in acting. Shades of his cousin Lily here... Those two are creepily alike in some ways.
Jacob had a playdate which made him very happy.
Leah and Jacob and I baked Martinsgänse for the lantern parade on Friday. (St. Martin's, remember? It's really on the 11th but that's a Sunday, so we're doing it two days early on Friday.) Don't worry, those are not real geese. They are goose cookies, and they get distributed among the kids after the lantern parade. It's a tradition to bake them together a few days prior to the event but I had no time (darn that missing parent) and so I made my batch today.
Last not least, my aunt came over with some congratulatory champagne. We looked at pictures of my new cousin-once-removed and chatted. I'm nicely woozy now. And so to bed.
All your fretting and the kids' good wishes certainly were instrumental in the election :) Well-earned rest!
Posted by: Lorraine | November 07, 2012 at 11:00 PM
A wonderful time, in spite of Doug's absence! Thank you for sharing these moments of your lives - and, uh, sorry about the radio... when that has happened, we think up song themes for a given day ("Ok! Today's car song theme is foods... only songs with food references" or animals, or birds, or people, or whatever).... miss you guys! <3 R
Posted by: Rachel | November 08, 2012 at 01:13 AM
Let me just ask this again (probably for the 1000th time)... How do you do it all and make it seem effortless? You are Super-Mom!
Posted by: monique kovacs nathan | November 08, 2012 at 09:02 AM
I didn't write about the episode where I fell asleep on the couch at 6pm, and woke up at 8pm. Total panic ensued, I yelled at the kids for taking advantage of me, hanging on out the computer instead of getting ready for bed/being in bed, and it was a lot of hectic and unhappiness... until I realized that the clock on the TV had not been re-set for daylight savings. It was only 7. I had to apologize to the kids, and still get them to bed. And clean up and vaccum so my aunt wouldn't think I'm a total loser with the household.
Not effortless. Only clever editing. ;-)
Posted by: claudia | November 08, 2012 at 12:17 PM