The Deep Blue Sea

Kids are astounding.

When my son was 3, we tried to get him to swim. Specifically, we tried to get him to dunk his head under and go down the "froggy slide", two accomplishments we thought a 3-year old should be able to handle. (The froggy slide, by the way, is a short 2-foot slide that lands you in 2-feet of water. It is shaped like a frog. You slide down its tongue and out of its mouth. Kinda disturbing, now that I describe it to a third party.)

Anyway, my son said he'd be glad to dunk his head and go down the slide....just as soon as he turned 5. No amount of cajoling could convince him to change his mind. That whole summer, he was perfectly happy just walking around the knee-deep section of the pool.

Over the winter he turned 4, and the next summer we again tried to get him to swim. Once again, he promised to when he was 5. We looked at each other knowingly, realizing in our infinite parental wisdom that he was simply stalling for time and that the next summer he'd delay it another year.

This summer *is* the next summer. Weather turns nice. We announce we're going to the pool; enthusiasm from the kids. We look at each other with a smirk. Can't wait to find out what the excuse is. Pack the towels, bathing suits, change of clothes, swimmies (they go around the kid's arm and keep him afloat), raft, inner tube, water bottles, grapes, crackers, and a book for Dad. Head to the Y, unload and head for the pool. Drop the stuff off and....hey! Where's my son?

"Look, Mom!", comes the yell. And he goes down the slide. And dunks his head. Time after time, all day. And the next, and the next. Just as he told us he would.

She's a Grand Old Flag

In order for an ammendment to be added to the Constitution it first has to pass a 2/3 vote by Congress. It then goes to the states for ratification, where it needs a 3/4 vote. It is such a rare event that it has happened only 27 times in the history of our country.

This week, the Senate came within 1 vote of the 2/3 necessary to pass an anti-flag burning ammendment on. Both senators from my state voted for this ammendment. I am not pleased.

I'm not really sure what the arguments for this ammendment are. The ones I have heard are "People should be patriotic", "There are other forms of protest that can just as equally well express dissatisfaction", and "This isn't what this country has fought for."

One at a time. Yes, people should be patriotic. No, it should not be regulated or enforced. Shall we make it a misdemeanor to neglect to put your hand over your heart when reciting the Pledge of Allegiance? A felony to sit down during the national anthem?

True, there are other forms of protest that can be used. But this can be an answer to any form of protest. Let's make it a crime to picket; after all, you could always write it up on a blog instead. Have elected officials start turning away their mail; after all, can't these voters find another way to protest?

Finally, the argument that this behavior isn't what this country has fought for. Bullshit. This is exactly the sort of freedom this country has fought for. Now, I don't agree with people who burn the flag...I don't see the point of it. It never targets a particular agenda; it seem to be more of an overall "I don't like this whole country" statement. But our veterans and predecessors have fought for precisely this: the ability to disagree with our government. At the time of the founding of our country, it was a one-of-a-kind idea. It's the idea that, yes, people can express their opinion, even if their opinion is stupid. They can express it most any way they want, even if that way is stupid. There is not a clause in the Declaration of Independence that says "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal (unless we don't agree with their opinion or method of expressing it).....

My opinion? The politicians didn't really think this had a chance of passing in the first place. Ammendments are notoriously hard to pass. I think it is simply a diversionary tactic to draw attention from where it needs to be paid. After all, there is so much Congress could be working on: health care, the war, the economy, social security....why are they wasting their time with this? It's one more item in a list of items designed to detract media coverage from the fiasco in Iraq (just in time for November elections, too). In recent months, the politicos have rehashed gay marriage, illegal aliens, and now flag burning. My guess is there will be at least one more non-essential topic introduced as "of primary concern" sometime in the next couple months.

My faith in our system remains strong. My faith in our current leaders is faltering quickly.

Things I've learned from my kids

The 15 essential steps to making hot chocolate

1) Put on the water to boil.
2) Go in the other room and forget about it.
3) Put on more water to boil.
4) Add chocolate, add to mugs.
5) Pour into different mugs because the first ones weren't the right ones.
6) Clean up spill.
7) Add marshmallows.
8) Add more marshmallows so that everyone has the exact same amount.
9) Clean up spill.
10) Add ice cubes to cool chocolate.
11) Add hot water to warm chocolate.
12) Clean up spill.
13) Mediate fight.
14) Clean up spill.
15) Got out and buy more paper towels.