Family/ Parenting/ Kids/ Chaos

 For Christmas , Austin put together a video/ movie he made of some of our old home movies.  He searched through old VHS tapes, and somehow put them together.

It was fun and funny to see us all so much younger!  There's Chance, around 2, looking up the chimney calling Santa and asking where he is.  And then Chance holds up a cookie into the chimney to offer to Santa!

There's more action with Austin and Morgan roller skating in the kitchen.  Courtney is walking around with Chance on her hip.  Darcy was in there being mischievous .

I miss having all the kids around.  But it is so easy to forget how much noise and chaos went on in our house all the time.   I don't know if my nerves could take it now!

This comic strip in the Sunday paper summed it up perfectly:

A New Day. A New Administration. A New Hope

 Yesterday Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States of America.   The world watched.   Kamala Harris is the first woman and the first person of color to be the Vice President.

We watched.  And our hearts swelled.  And we cried.

One person said that she didn't realize that she had been holding her breath for the last four years.

We all have.   Well, all the people I know who were so concerned about America and our democracy just two weeks ago when the US Capitol was invaded.

No, everything is not perfect.  Nor will it ever be.  But oh the weight of the last four years, coming to a head on January 6th had me worried and scared and stressed.

We can breath!

Comments from the minister from the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax (UUCF).  He captures the mood and feelings so well:

Rev. David Miller

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Like millions, today I awoke still feeling the trauma from over 4 years of daily dread, over 4 years of picking up my phone to see the latest in the ongoing, well you know. But, it wasn’t there. No childish narcissistic tweet. No outrageous policy decision. No obvious lie enabled by sycophants. No hate-filled othering tearing at the fabric of common decency.

It will take awhile for us to move on from the trauma our bodies and this country have experienced. It will of course resurface in many ways as it unfortunately always does. It will take all of us working together and supporting each other to continue to build the momentum of hope. Still, on this first morning, it truly feels different and as we continue to move forward from this long national nightmare, different is good.

ers

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Crazy times?

 I think about writing here every day but then I realize that I don't know where to start!

The coronavirus is getting worse. More people are dying.    There are problems with the distribution of vaccines against virus.     I stay in the house most of the time.   I wear a mask whenever I do go anywhere.  A year ago if anyone had predicted what the last almost year has been like I would not have believed it.

The inauguration for the new president is in three days.   Because of the attack on the Capitol and threats for more attacks in all 50 states, the security is unbelievable.   With the virus, the celebrations would have been much smaller anyway.  But now, all of Washington , DC is closed.  Almost all of the bridges into the city are closed.   There are fences with razor wire surrounding the Capitol.   There are troops everywhere.   

D.C. is making major road and transit changes ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, which includes widespread street and bridge closures and the shutdown of 13 Metro stations.

The U.S. Secret Service said Sunday that all inbound traffic on three major bridges in Southeast D.C. will be closed starting 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19 through 6 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 21. The bridges will remain open to outbound traffic.

The bridges affected include:

• South Capitol Street/Douglass Bridge
• Interstate 695/11th Street Bridge
• Pennsylvania Avenue/Sousa Bridge

On Friday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and congressional Democrats said they had an agreement with U.S. Secret Service that authorized the use of Virginia State Police to help with bridge closures spanning the Potomac River during the Jan. 20 inauguration.

That means, from 6 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19 through 6 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, these bridges and their accompanying sidewalks will be closed with the help of Virginia State Police:

• Interstate 66/Theodore Roosevelt Bridge
• Interstate 395/14th Street Bridge

“The 2021 Presidential Inauguration Ceremony will see the strongest Capital-area security response in history,” reads Friday’s joint statement. “It is very important now that the U.S. Secret Service and its partner agencies communicate road and bridge closures swiftly and clearly in order to keep disruptions to a minimum.”

Arlington Memorial Bridge was originally listed to close Tuesday but ended up mostly shutting down Friday evening. There was limited access Saturday, however, with cars entering D.C. from Arlington only able to go around Lincoln Circle and north onto 23rd Street toward Foggy Bottom. Beware of traffic changes in the area leading up to Tuesday morning. From that point, the bridge will remain closed through the inauguration.

Have we become a third world, developing country?   Should we be scared, or is this fearful reaction giving the crazy people more power?   I don't know. I don't know what to think.

Four years ago I knitted pink "pussy" hats.  There were thousands, maybe millions of people wearing them for the Women's March.   It was a protest against Trump.    But it was very peaceful.   This year there is no such symbol.  No political statement I can make on my knitting needles.  

So we wait.  And watch the news.  And worry.  And try not to worry.  

And we will keep our sign up until after the inauguration!

  

 

 

House impeaches Trump for role in deadly Capitol riot

Happy New Year?

As years go, 2020 was not a great year.  It started out alright.  Nick and I enjoyed going on a cruise in January.  Then it all changed.  

I have written often about the coronavirus , pandemic on and on.  A friend's mother died of Covid on New Years Day.   She was a healthy and conscientious person.  She and her husband got sick at the same time.  He got better, she died.  

We held our breath and crossed our fingers hoping that Trump would lose the election. He did lose.  But he kept making claims that it was a stolen election and false.

Then the unthinkable happened.    The US Capital was breached.   Invaded.  An attempt to take over was made.  While we and the whole world watched, live, as it happened.   

The US and her allies are shaken.  Angry.  Scared (a little bit).   We blame Trump.   He only has 10 more days in office and the question is, what mischief will be cause in that time.

The first picture of the Capital that I posted is a picture I took awhile ago.   It is a beautiful building and it represents our democracy and freedom as Americans.

The next few pictures that I will try to post here are of January 6th.