Walking the walk

As promised, video proof of Nora's first independent two-legged forward propulsion accomplishment. I don't know what that means, exactly, but she also took a bunch of steps by herself!
The first clips are at home and the rest are at Uncle Nate's girlfriend Tania's house on Thanksgiving day. How apt, I know.
A couple of notes: The 'Dumbo' comments are in reference to Dumbo's feather (i.e., he thought he couldn't fly without it) NOT to the level of my daughter's intelligence. Also, some of the videos are sideways. That's just the way it goes.
Enjoy!



UPDATE: Still photos also capture the first-step moments.

An Historic Event

It's Election Day! Finally! Each time I woke up last night I was filled with the birthday-Santa feeling of the morning to come. Now that it's here...well, I'm blogging some patriotic family photos until it's time to head to Tougo for some community rallying and nail biting.

Firstly, we all got dressed and grabbed our voter registration cards:

I'm enfranchised!

Okay, so only Nora is dressed for the day in this photo.  But lo, Basil and I followed suit (oh, ha, HA!) and headed to the polls:

What, you don't have a polling station in your backyard?  We look pretty happy here, but not pictured is how we were turned away from our actual polling place.  Yep, turned away:  our names were not listed on the precinct register.  Awhile back--and in plenty of time for it to take legal effect--Basil and I decided to remove our absentee status so that we could take Nora to the polls and physically vote.  Both of us have fond memories of joining our parents at the polls in our youth and we wanted to be able to tell Nora the story of how She Was There! at this historic election.

We got our new registration cards noting that our absentee standing had been removed...but also received absentee ballots in the mail.  Upon arriving at our polling place, we learned that we could not make our dream to vote in a booth with Nora a reality.  Luckily, we did not have to fill out provisional ballots...although we're a little bit concerned about what will happen with our absentee ballots when counting comes.  Turns out we were not the only people to whom this had happened at our precinct.

Moving on...

We'd filled out the absentee ballots just in case...all but the oval for Presidential Candidate.  So that part is still part of Nora's political history:

Ah, yes, Mama is indeed for Obama.

Dad...doesn't rhyme with Obama.  No matter!  That's not how it works!  VOTE!

Another childhood polling place memory was that "secret ballot" meant that you weren't supposed to disclose your final choices.  Later I figured out it just wasn't discussed at my house because my parents always supported opposite candidates.

These completed ballots do not cancel each other out.

Next up?  Nora and I will join the Culvers at the aforementioned Tougo.  Basil's got rehearsal with his band.  I hope you all have similar support as your election day continues, that we all find companionship, comfort and commonality in the fact that we--as active members of our democracy--voted.  Here's to continued voices heard, regardless of outcomes. Heck, embracing outcomes.  (Definition of "embrace" to be defined following results.) Here's to hope.