Prop 8

Today I found a handwritten (yes, I checked the indents) note along with some rather misleading pamphlets in my mailbox. It was from our neighbor a couple doors down, and read:

"Dear Neighbor, Please join me in voting Yes on proposition 8! It is imperative that we act now to preserve the family. A child needs a father and a mother! As a mother of five children I urge you to vote Yes on 8. Thank you, (neighbor x)"

This brings up three questions:
1. When did it become appropriate to do political campaigning (especially on such a wedge issue) within your neighborhood?
2. Is this unique to Wilton? Is everyone here so adamantly against gay rights that it's just assumed that the belief is shared? If so, yikes.
3. Would I feel so put-off by this if I agreed with the opinion being shoved in my mailbox? If there were a hand-written note that urged me to vote no No on prop 8, I'm guessing I wouldn't be so offended.

I know it's normal to send political propaganda through mail, email, even those dinner-time unsolicited calls. But now people we know personally are telling us how to vote? What ever happened to "don't talk religion or politics" with friends and neighbors? Now I know why; I won't be bringing "neighbor x" any Kristin's Homemade Oatmeal Cookies this year!!!

Douggie's awkward phase

Douggie is almost out of his "awkward" phase (where he looks like a mangy flea-bitten mule). Only thing is, I have no idea what color he is now. I think somewhere between chestnut, liver chestnut, and gray. Maybe he'll be a roan for his first few years, and then turn gray (like his mom). The first picture is about a month ago, at peak ugliness. Now his gross foal fuzz is giving way to a nice silky, shiny big-boy coat (picture 2). Yesterday I buried my nose in his shoulder and took a big whiff, confirming that just like human babies, foals have no body odor. They just smell great.

Road Trip

Aaaah, summer. We literally have plans every single weekend until, oh, 2011. This weekend we packed up 20-pound James and his 300 pounds of gear, and headed to the bay area for the second time in a week. James is not the happily-enjoy-the-sights type of toddler. He first throws a tantrum, then goes into some sort of a manic laughing fit, then passes out. I think there was a time when I looked forward to road trips, but I can't remember.

Dirty kid

Can you get arrested for having a dirty kid? Try as I might by the time he gets to daycare he looks like a farm animal. Between the dirt and the bruises I'm just waiting for the day when I show up to get him and a couple CPS agents are there waiting for me. Yesterday he was actually pretty normal looking but then chose to run into the wall a couple times, and smeared his breakfast in his hair this morning. That took care of it.