Mama gets a moment of peace

The moment has finally arrived.  The big twin payoff we've been waiting for. My kids now play together.  They've always played next to one another but now it's like they are really little friends. This morning I heard them making plans to go to the airport.

"You've got to hold hands 'cause car coming," Maggie said, officiously grabbing Ollie's paw. And then off they went with the giraffe suitcase packed full of essentials like letter magnets, a wooden toaster and a few board books.  According to Maggie they are headed for grandma Charlotte's house, Mexico, and a bunny hole.  Sounds like a fun trip.

I hope they come home soon.

I gotta get to the inauguration

I can't let this kid down

So there I sat on election night, eyes all brimming with joy, heart all aflutter with yes-we-can optimism, guts all knotted with regret.  I wanted to be in Grant Park in Chicago, crying and cheering at hope's ground zero.  

So, now I'm scheming to get to the inauguration.  Getting a ticket from a California rep. is out of the question.  I went to Jackie Speiers' website and it says she's gotten over 3,000 requests for her 198 tickets.  BUT, and here's where my hope lies, my in-laws live in Oklahoma, where they pump up Republicans from the ground with their oil.  I figure there can't be more than a few hundred folks from down that way who want to go to freezing DC on January 20 to celebrate with the liberal elite. So, my mother-in-law has put in a request to her rep.  It's a long shot, but I've got to at least try to be a part of history.

I can't let this happen.

MAGGIE (twenty years hence): Mom did you get to witness the inauguration of the first black president of the U.S.?

ME (all stressed-out, with a bad dye-job): No dear, I was taking advantage of Old Navy's post-holiday sales.

I think I'll make us go even if we don't have tickets.  We can just stand far away, chattering with cold and good old American pride.

A roundup of cool links to design stuff and ideas and people in the blogosphere

A few things I think you should know about:

This woman beat me out of a job at Cafe Mom. Yes, I was going to take this blogging thing to the big time.  I tracked her down and found her all over the place. It turns out I like her.  So, Happinest meet Up Mama's Wall.  Up Mama's Wall meet Happinest, and Mamazine.  Yes, you are welcome to my 25 regular readers (That's right, I've grown!).

Here's Undrgrnd. Sign up for their daily newsletter and buy lots of cool, design-y things for your home that you don't need.  The good news is that they are marked down, a lot.  Like sometimes by 80%.  Enjoy.  

Also, in case you're feeling stuck.  Here are some ideas from Free Idea Factory.  Why didn't I think of that?

Finally, that agent who liked me and then changed her mind about my new anthology, sort of changed her mind again and now she has submitted my essay about hating my dog to the NY Times Modern Love section.  I tell you this because I need your good vibes.  You know, from your lips to God's ears and all.