Pistol Tanker Palin

Introducing Pistol Tanker Palin:

"Thanks but no thanks..."

"Ah shit, I was just kidding...that woman is nuts!"

Okay on a separate note, it's so awesome when your kid thinks you are single-handedly the most powerful person in the world. Apparently even more powerful than Daddy. Hah! Here's how it went down this morning:

Good morning Bea, can I make you some brekkie? Read a book?
Yea.

Oh, by the way, Bea - did you know that Barack Obama won last night? He's our new President!
What about Hillary? (that's my girl)

Well, you know she was sort of out of the picture - instead Barack won.

Woooowwww Mom, how did YOU DO THAT??

Instead of leading her to believe I really was that powerful, she got a short lesson in civics - 4 year old style. "Let's take a family vote on who gets Bea's Halloween candy."

And on a final note, I survived poll watching. It was a great opportunity, but it got a tad bit boring. I wasn't allowed to have a cell phone or laptop in the polling station, so I had to sneak out to get updates from Shonna & David. Thank god for David, who was able to talk Shonna and I down on a number of occasions by simply explaining how the numbers worked. So while I was stuck in a school gym, being eyed suspiciously by the election judges, Bea was busy checking the electoral map on my laptop:

Me approaching the closing of the polls...LONG day, but worth it. I saved several votes for the Dems.

Big Day

On two fronts:

1. Bea's first day at the Clark Fork School. www.clarkforkschool.org Every child should have the opportunity to engage in this type of learning. It is a parent cooperative school which focuses on connecting education, nature & community. We are so fortunate to have access to this school. Bea did so wonderful - and the kids were so welcoming. She left her first day with two new, special friends - Lucia & Audrey. As Bea and I discussed, we will still see her old St. Paul friend, Luke, Sophia & Isabella, and she's so lucky to make new friends. Bea met her new teachers, Miss Julee and Miss Jennifer, as well as the class bunny - Applehopper - who gets to hop around the room making friends with the kids.

Today Bea did a still life painting and learned about frogs and seed pods! We are looking forward to this year and kindergarten next year.

2. Today is Election Day. So, it wasn't Hillary, but then again, I'm starting to believe it just may be Obama's time. I am hopeful he will be elected. In the spirit of community service, Bea & I are off to volunteer at the polls, to ensure all voters are protected and able to cast their votes.
Bea is adorned in Obama temp tattoos, but we are still Hill-Girls at heart. When Obama is elected I am confident Hillary's vision for the care of our citizens, particularly children, will be enacted. Regardless, he's earned this in his own right and is a compelling and impressive man. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Finally, we are headed to Ben & Kelly's tonight for our traditional Election Night Dinner. Thankfully, Elizabeth will be there to help me piss Ben off. Yay! Nothing more fun than a raging fight at the Hurshes!!

Bea's Summit

So this morning I surprised Bea with this: "We're going to hike the 'M' today!" Because Bea has never done this before, under her own leg power as opposed to riding in the kiddie-pack, she was totally game. After brekkie, off we went, in windy, wet, 45 degree weather. It's a pretty intense hike - relatively short - 20 mins up - but steep.

Bea completely rocked that hike. She made it to the top with me in 25 mins and didn't even complain. We sang songs, took little breaks to look at the wildflowers and pretended to be mountain goats. Ollie sprayed urine over the entire trail just to ensure no other dogs got any ideas they might have any right to be there. (seriously, HOW can such a small dog generate so much piss?? It's ridiculous.) We all had a great time and I was so proud of Bea for summiting the M.

You'll see in the pictures that she's wearing her GU sweatshirt and Gonzaga Girl hat. We feel it important for her to have a solid understanding that she's a Bulldog, not a Griz. Thus, anytime we do anything U of M-ish, she wears GU apparel and sings: Go Gonzaga! G-O-N-Z-A-G-A! Which she did sing as she was summiting the M.

Can anyone find puggy at the very first picture? He's taking a break from marking the perimeter of the M.

Butte, America

So while I was holed up in my thousandth f*cking deposition in Butte, George & Bea got to discover Butte's "colorful" past. They ate brekkie at a Butte uptown diner; went on a tour of an old mine shaft; then hit the hot pools at Fairmont. Nice to have them along as I miss them when I have to travel for work.

Bea in "old town" Butte at the mining museum
Bea modeling in front of some old time mining equipment.

Bea in front of a really, really, really big tire.

Bea on an old mining cart.

Hangin' at the bottom of the mine shaft.

Syttende Mai

Last Saturday Donna & Paul invited us to the Sons of Norway "Syttende Mai," which is essentially a children's festival. So on a beautiful sunny Saturday we joined them at the Nordic Pines cabin for a very enjoyable afternoon.

Beatrice trying out the bungi-trampoline. Up, up, and......

.....AWAY!!! What a brave girl!

Partaking in the gunny-sack race with Daddy & Donna. Bea is in the lead!

Uh-oh. One to many Hieniken's for Donna.

(Even though she looks mad, she asked that I take this picture. I swear.)

Who would guess this woman is 2 years shy of 80??!!!

Roasting weenies with Daddy & Paul.

Trust me, nothing compares to a Nordic Pines cookout/potluck.

The Three Musketeers. Paul, Bea & Donna.Donna is doing her damn best to turn us into honorary Norweigans. We got hit up to join the Sons of Norway. Although George's father's side is Swedish, and although we are Catholic, Donna seems to have pardoned us. So we think we may join. Lots of nice families with little kids.

We've been to a few of their rippers and they are really pretty fun. They put on the Barnelopet (kid's x-c ski race); regular pancake breakfasts at the Nordic Pines (Paul makes the pancakes - to die for); Annual Christmas Party at the Nordic Pines, where Paul dresses up as the Julenissen (Santa) and the old ladies, including Donna, don their Norweigan dancing dresses; and now the Syttende Mai. I think we're signing on. Not to mention we are in good standing as we have been taken in by Donna & Paul. Those two are like the Godfathers of the Sons of Norway. I mean to tell you, we are in the "in-crowd" when we hit the Pines. We get the best seats in the house, next to Donna & Paul. Best of all, Donna knows where the Heinekins are stashed.

Mother's Day Tea

Bea invited me to a Mother's Day Tea at her pre-school, St. Paul's. We also invited Donna. It was so nice and very special. We had cucumber sandwiches, drank tea and punch and had some dessert. Bea and her pre-school friends did a little performance of "I'm a Little TeaPot" and "I am Special." Bea then gave me a beautiful wooden plaque that says "MOM" on it with wooden butterfly that she painted. Bea made me feel like a very special mom that day.

Bea all dressed up for the Tea

Isabella & Bea at the Tea

Then on actual Mother's Day, I was so lucky to be woken up and given a present from Bea & Ollie (a cell phone headset so I don't use my cell phone while driving :) Then Bea & George made breakfast while I drank coffee and read a magazine. How relaxing! We rounded out the day by doing a lot of gardening and I got to pick out a beautiful hanging plant. Ended the day with a yummy dinner of Pasta Carbonara.

Donna & Bea

Shine

your power, your might, your light little girl.
Your mommy told you a story that you'll not forgot -
you can do whatever you chose.
You can do it all or not at all.
You knew. You understood.

You told me that you had a princess meeting
with your coworkers in a half and hour.
You were going to talk about babies at your meeting.
Your carriage was coming to pick you up.

We went together to support
a great woman.
A woman who's
intelligence,
frank ambition,
and care for us
were palpable, touchable.

My little girl, we will see it
in our time, together.
We will experience, and
I will savor, our time of respect.

And I will not forget who got us there.


Bea & I went to see Hillary speak this weekend in Missoula.
We were able to meet her, talk to her and most important,
we listened to her.
I am very grateful to have been part of history and to have given
the same to my daughter.

Pictures of the meeting to follow!!