Money Well Spent.

Wednesday is Mass Day at A's school. Every Wednesday evening we ask how Mass was and he always says, "Good."

This week, D asked him how Mass had gone. Here's how it went:

D: How was Mass?
A: Good.
D: Well, what did Father talk about?
A: Ummm...I don't really know.
D: Well, do you know what the Gospel was about?
A: Uhhhh....I think it came from Luke. But that's probably just a guess.
D: Oh. Well...
A: I usually don't pay attention during Mass.

So, at least he's getting the virtue of honesty.

Because it has to be said.

Yes, I'm a Republican. No, I don't line up 100% with the party. Yes, I'm one of the energized, re-committed individuals who finds the nomination of Sarah Palin intriguing and fantastic. I've been caught up in all the news reports too. No matter what one's political persuasion, as a woman (and no, not a feminist - whatever that term means to you, I don't think that word describes me), and a working mother, I think the chance to have that unique perspective on the national level is hopeful. Something about all the coverage of the past 5 days has kind of rubbed me raw, but I haven't been able to put words around what exactly has gotten under my skin. But I read this today, and it sums it up. At least mostly.

It's a reminder that the Mommy Wars debates are largely had by people who can afford to spend a lot of time theorizing in op-ed columns rather than trying to put gas in the car and food on the table. Feminist liberal moms sometimes choose to stay home while evangelical moms sometimes have to work; they may not want to, but a study I once wrote about suggested they feel less unhappiness about finding a "work-life" balance than their feminist peers do. It's a psychological truism that people who judge you are really reflecting something of their own anxieties. Why else, in the supposed age of gender equality, do we respond with the same old Pavlovian frenzy when the mommy-isn't-at-home bell is rung instead of stepping back to ask: How can we change our culture so this is a decision that falls equally to mom and dad? How come feminist-minded journalists don't take male politicians to task for how they run their lives but get in at arms when a conservative mother chooses to run for national office? As Anne pointed out, isn't this ironic? Whatever the problems I have with Palin’s politics, her decision to run for VP as a mom with a young kid is not one of them.

It was posted by Meghan O'Rourke at slate.com. If you happen to go to that site and read most of the other things written about Palin there, I will admit that I don't usually agree. But I think this quote is right on.

First Day of Preschool

Well...

Today was the day that J started school. Preschool. I'm glad it finally got here, because now the anticipation of it is all over. Because seriously...it's only been within the last month that she has agreed to go to preschool in the first place.

This morning she woke up and was raring to go. She announced to D that she needed a good breakfast because "It's a big day for preschoolers, Dad."

I walked her in to her classroom and turned in her paperwork. I stood amongst all the other (good) moms who had remembered to bring their cameras (I thought I was doing really well to remember the tissues, paper towels, and emergency medical forms). Kids were clinging to their mothers...some were crying, others were clearly apprehensive.

Mine? She walked about 5 steps into the classroom, turned around, flashed me a HUGE smile, and threw me a wave. "BYE!!!!" she yelled.

My mom says it's a sign that she's well-adjusted and trusts that we're going to be there when she's done with school.

To me, she could just as well have said, "Get the hell outta here, Mom! Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out!"