sick and productive

After a brief reprieve from illness, our family is sick again with a cold. Luckily, I bought a 20-pack of tissues from Costco the last time I was there knowing that we'd need them this winter.

Between yesterday and today I have sent out 18 query letters to literary agencies that might represent my book. It would be fantastic if I could actually get it published, but I'm realistic about the chances. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude, while trying not to be overcome with disappointment when the rejection letters start coming through my mail slot. There are a few more agencies that I haven't contacted.

Right now I just want to take a nap. I was up at 4:00 a.m. unable to breathe through my nose and when I tried breathing through my mouth my throat became parched and I would wake up to take a drink of water trying not to spill it down the front of my pajamas. Sleep, I need sleep.

amazing - and it just keeps getting better

This morning baby Doodle picked up the newspaper and said, "Daddy's newspaper." I said, "Are you reading it?"
"Reading it."
"What are you reading about?"
"Football" (said enthusiastically)
"What does it say?" (not expecting any response or any one that made sense)
He replied looking at the paper as if he is reading it: "Kick the ball, run the ball, hit, fall down"


Mr. Doodlebug is at a meeting in New York today. I told baby Doodle that daddy is going to New York today for work and he said, "where the Statue of Liberty is," except it wasn't said that clearly, it was more like, "where the staauu libity is."

Every day he blows me away.

potty time

Baby Doodle has pooped in the potty twice, and peed on the floor once. We're just getting started.

another baby doodle tale

This afternoon baby Doodle and his friend, who I am babysitting, ate lunch in their respective high chairs. My friend packed pasta in her daughter's lunch bag. Baby Doodle, of course, wanted some of what his friend was eating, not to eat, just to play with. He put the noodles I had doled out to him in his yogurt and said, "Pasta is swimming in yogurt." It was pretty cute. He didn't eat a single noodle. He did finish his yogurt though.

meeting the new mayor (for the third time)

Last night I waited on line for 2 hours and 45 minutes to spend 5 seconds talking to the new mayor of Philadelphia, Michael Nutter. The line, which was not single file, wrapped completely around City Hall, which happens to be the largest municipal building in the country. My friend had come over to babysit baby Doodle during the interim when Mr. Doodlebug was coming home from center city and I was leaving for it. When I got there I made sure the line was to get into the "reception" with the mayor. Then I asked how long the wait was: an hour and a half. After staking my claim at the end of the tremendous line I debated whether to just go home and bag it. But I had already made my way there via regional rail and I was willing to put a little time in on line. What I was witnessing was the political equivalent to waiting to audition for American Idol or for free tickets to the Super Bowl.

I called Mr. D to bitch about the standing and waiting I was about to endure. When I got off the phone the woman in front of me claimed that the wait would be worth it. Then the guy behind the person behind me struck up a conversation with me and the woman behind me. He seemed pretty cool and we chatted while the line moved from the south side of the building to the west side. Some high school marching bands and some street musicians played music to keep us entertained. The wife of the nice guy behind me joined our little group, as did the woman in front of me (the one who said the wait would be worth it). I liked the guys wife a lot. She had one of these warm, optimistic, inclusive personalities. She works for a non-profit that helps kids in Philly and her husband works at La Salle University. We learned a lot about each other during our nearly three-hour wait. The longer I stood there the more invested I became in seeing it through. My line friends made the entire ordeal tolerable, and dare I say enjoyable.

The outpouring of support for a man who has already won his election was unbelievable. I have never waited in a line that long for anything, but I waited last night. It was worth it. It was worth it to see the enthusiasm and hope people have for our new mayor. It was encouraging. It was worth it to meet the four people that formed our "line friends" group. It was worth it to shake the mayor's hand and tell him, extremely briefly, that I would love to work for him in the education realm. He actually told me to call him this morning at City Hall to discuss it further. I assumed he didn't mean talk directly with him today, but I did call and leave a message for his assistant who has yet to call me back. Mr. Doodlebug thinks they're still inundated with things to do and I should give her 48 hours before I call again.

I arrived at City Hall at 5:45 and shook the mayor's hand at 8:30 p.m. After exchanging numbers with the couple behind me I ran to catch the 8:41 train back to my neighborhood. Then I hiked up the enormous hill, and the 96 stairs to our house. I arrived home at 9:30 starving, thirsty and tired. I'm really glad I went. I'm glad I did something out of my routine and little crazy.

Obama for Prez

The more I see Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in debates -- yes, I watch the debates and I like them -- the more I like Obama and dislike Clinton, and it's not because Obama won the Iowa caucuses. One of the only advantages to Hillary becoming the Democratic nominee is that she's a woman, and I think it would be really great to have a woman president. I think Obama is honest, in-touch with the people, and I agree with him on most of the issues. I also think he's incredibly intelligent and electable, two characteristics that you like to have in a candidate.

In 2000, I liked Al Gore as a candidate, but unfortunately, he didn't let his human side be seen by the public during the campaign. I don't know if that's because he was too uncomfortable with showing a more fun side to his personality or because he listened to advisers who weren't advising him well, on that front anyway.

In 2004, I liked Edwards more than Kerry, but got behind Kerry after he became the nominee and was thrilled that he chose Edwards to be his VP. Then, Edwards didn't really deliver. I thought he was going to bring some energy and youth to the ticket, but instead he stayed out of the public eye and didn't dazzle during the VP debate.

Now, I like Obama and I think he's a better presidential candidate than the past two have been, even though he's slightly less experienced than Edwards was, and a lot less experienced than Kerry. Experience isn't everything. Abraham Lincoln didn't have much experience and he was one of the best presidents this country has ever had.

The waiting is over, I am endorsing Barack Obama.

21 months old

Baby Doodle turned 21 months old yesterday. It seems cumbersome to continue to say his age in months, but in just three short months he'll be two and we'll have to start counting in years. Sometimes I look at baby Doodle and he seems so grown up already. He's getting taller and some of his facial expressions are so mature. He had a wonderful Christmas surrounded by everyone he loves the most (Grandma, Grammy, Grandad, Uncle Doodlebug, Mr. Doodlebug and me). Santa Claus brought him a train set, which he plays with for at least three hours a day. He also loves all of the new books he received, his recycling truck and a colored shape stacker he got from our neighbors.

I won't go through the litany of developments -- both motor and mental -- this month. His two most noteworthy advancements are: reciting the last third of the alphabet and saying a couple of six-word sentences without any prompting. He is a complete joy to be around. Most people who encounter him, whether they're complete strangers at Target, family or friends, comment using some combination of the following adjectives: adorable, smart, cute, unbelievable, intelligent, pleasant, sweet, good.

He's such an unbelievably good boy. I feel so lucky to have him. He's so sweet and good natured. He's a lot fun to be around.

Here he is in his bathrobe after a bath on new year's eve.

Happy New Year

I was able to enjoy myself last night since I am finally feeling better, though I didn't drink -- well I drank gingerale. We brought in the new year with two other couples, one of whom is expecting their first baby and the other had to leave before midnight because they have a toddler. Since we moved to Philly from DC we've met some really great people. Most of them have kids and that is how we met. Our lives are a lot different now that we have a child, but I've written about that ad nauseam soon after baby Doodle was born.

This being the first day of the new year I was thinking about what significant things happened in my life in 2007. Here's a short bulleted list:

• Baby Doodle learned to walk and talk graduating from babyhood to toddlerhood
• Mr. Doodlebug was promoted and obtained an office with a view
• I became friends with another mom who I spend a lot of time with now
• I've become quite comfortable in my role as a mother
• My brother bought his first house, with his girlfriend
• My mother started her first year as a state legislator (in Vermont)
• My father and his wife continued the good work they are doing in Africa
• And, I wrote a novel, and I'm proud of it, though it's not a literary masterpiece

My new year's resolution is to become a less anxious and stressed person. I think that was last year's resolution, too, but this year I have a plan (which itself doesn't seem so laid back... hmmm). I 'm going to take a yoga class, keep in mind the insignificance that most things have in life and remember to focus on the important things/people, let minor -- and major for that matter -- incidinces roll off my back instead of dwelling on them and letting the negativity seep into my mood, have fun and let loose, have massages more often, practice the deep breathing I read about in one of my anxiety books, try meditating. That's it. That's my plan.

Happy 2008!