Interrogation

Mia's really grilling me about Santa Claus. She doesn't want him coming down the chimney. What if there's a fire going? Way to dangerous. If he does come down the chimney, how does he get back up? If he's magic, why doesn't he just come through the door? She's very concerned about the sleigh landing on the roof. She doesn't think that's practical, but we have a lot of landscaping in our yard. No room for a sleigh. I don't think she's suspicious (yet). She just really wants to know how it works. But at this rate, this may be the last year of Santa :(

A Montessori Thanksgiving

Mia's school had a really great Thanksgiving feast on Tuesday. The kids broke up into groups and helped prepare all the food. Mia mashed sweet potatoes. Other kids made green bean casserole, cornbread, cookies, fruit salad and even butter from cream. Now she's devoted to the idea of helping me in the kitchen. Yes, it is more work for me in the short run, but here's hoping it pays off with Mia doing some solo cooking in a few years.

They also made their own Pilgrim and Indian costumes. Mia's not in this picture, but this is the only one I got with both Pilgrims and Indians.
The kids were also instructed carefully in saying "Yes, please" or "No, thank you" when they were offered something. Alas, Mia said "No, thank you" to everything but the corn bread and cookies. At least I won't suffer the trauma later today of hearing "Ewwwww, Yuck" over some delicacy grandma has slaved over.

Well, It Beats Rammstein

My husband is playing Peter Schilling's Fehler Im System for Mia and they are dancing around the living room like robots. That European electronic stuff lends itself to robot dancing. I'm not sure this will help her fit in with the other kids, but I'm sure it's more edifying that the Rammstein he plays for her on the way to school. On his agenda for tomorrow: Kraftwerk.

Getting A Jump On Christmas

Not me, of course, but all my new neighbors. Brian called me out onto the back porch last weekend to show me a Christmas tree in a neighbor's window. Since then, two houses have their outside lights on and two more Christmas trees have been added to front windows. That's just what I can see from my yard.

I always thought I started freakishly early by putting up the tree over Thanksgiving weekend.

Here Come The ABC's

If you have a preschooler, I highly recommend the DVD Here Come The ABC's by They Might Be Giants. I have a low tolerance for children's music, but this one is just the right amount of quirky. The more we listen to it, the more we like it.

Also popular with mom and dad: John Lithgow's Singin' in the Bathtub. Alas, we don't care for his new one.

I Feel Left Out

There are no big national races in Kansas. And since I moved out of Missouri a few months ago, I can't indulge in my election day ritual of going to the polls to cancel out my sister-in-law's vote.

Well, at least we have the hotly contested and very ugly Kline v. Morrison attorney general's race to get us motivated.

One Cool Thing About Touch Screen Voting

My five year old can help me vote. I point to the candidate and she presses the screen 'till it beeps. Pretty fun.

Waterboarding 101

I just got around to watching Steve Harrigan get waterboarded. My first thought was that teenage boys all over America are asking their mom's where the saran wrap is. Seriously, I was tempted myself.

One of Allah's commenters wonders if Amnesty International has done controlled experiments on waterboarding given how emphatically they insist that torture never gets good information. Now that would be one sweet science fair project. Subject A (my best friend Joe) and Subject B (my little brother)...