Dictators just in time for election day

One of Nathan's teachers asked about my writing progress and kindly said that it took her eight years to complete her masters after she had two children. Yup. I had planned to spend the evening working, but then a child proudly shared his monster drawing. He asked if "we" could sew this monster and looked at me with a mixture of hope and sweet belief that his mommy can do anything.

On our drive home, we saw candidates for local elections waving to motorists. I explained that we have a democracy which means that we get to vote, like when Mommy and Daddy asks what everyone wants for dinner. Then I said that some leaders do whatever they want and don't care about what the people want; those are called dictators Thus enlightened, Nathan said, "Sometimes you're like that." Peter was highly amused; I think he liked his new title of authority. After all, he instated communism in the living room, meaning that all toys out there must be shared. Dear Katie came to my defense. And the dictator spent the evening sewing a monster to make Nathan happy. Hmm... (Spanfelners, are you laughing about your fellow dictators right now?)

I am glad that Nathan is so interested in drawing and crafts though, and it is promising to see him cherish a handmade, awkward, stuffie monster as much as a store-bought toy. His enthusiasm for any project we concoct is amazing. After school today we made jello fruit cups for his school snack tomorrow. (Families take turns.) The fruit is supposed to stay on the bottom, but it didn't. It's better anyway that the kids eat the fruit first before digging in to find mini gummy fish swimming around. Nathan thinks that his friends will find the snack cool.