Inauguration Day

I don't do excitement as a rule. When a friend (who does) asks me if I'm excited about an upcoming event or an impending vacation, I try not to react like the party poop that I sometimes am, but I tend to lean to the even keel. I look forward to, I anticipate, but I don't often get what you might call excited.

Being able to vote in this election (my citizen-given right!) this time around motivated me to get over my reservations of becoming an American citizen (one year ago this month...), and you could say that I have been HIGHLY enthusiastic leading up to yesterday's events.

I mean, look.... I even used an exclamation mark in that last paragraph.

What I didn't anticipate was Sweetpea's interest in the whole process. This is the girl who on the day of my citizenship interview last year (age four), told me "Just remember Mummy, if you think you're an American you are". On seeing a newspaper in October with this picture on the cover

she asked who the man was who everyone was touching. We talked about elections and the candidates in simple terms. When we went to our polling station on November 4, she stood beside me and whispered in my ear who I should vote for.

And yesterday morning as we watched the various dignitaries walk toward the inaugural ceremony, she set up a stool (with a pillow for comfort, of course) and started her running commentary.

"Oh there's Rock Obama.
I bet those little girls are saying 'My Daddy is the President!'
Everybody's walking so slowwwww.
I think George Bush is excited that he's going to take a rest.
Look at her hat. That lady sings really nice."

Apparently when she and her class watched a tape of the inauguration speech again later that morning, she shushed all the younger kids who weren't paying attention. And when discussing the new call to service by our new President (brought up in circle time by her thoughtful teacher), she told me she would help me with chores around the house. Works for me.

Here's to the future, may it be bright.