Best friends

Sometimes the Peanut has a hard time when we drop her off at day care in the morning. Often it's because she is cranky about getting up in the morning, but sometimes it's because she's feeling car sick from the ride in, as she was this morning. Luckily she can always count on her best buddy, a stupendously adorable boy named C., to come to the rescue when she needs a little understanding.

Even as a 1-year-old, C. was a particularly charismatic kid. He is auburn-haired and has a bright smile, and more often than not, he's laughing. And, especially noteworthy for a 2-year-old, he is extremely empathetic. He's always ready with a smile and a hug for any kid in the Two's Room who is feeling down.

This morning as I kneeled by the Peanut's side, wiping her tears and trying to get her in a decent mood before Mr. Fraulein and I said goodbye, C. bounded over to greet her as usual. I explained that the Peanut was feeling sad. He laid a hand on her shoulder and watched her as she cried. He thought for a moment, and then looked at me and said:

"I love her."

And then he gave her a hug.

Life's big questions

Yesterday the Peanut and I were getting ready to go out for a late-afternoon trip to the park. Once I wrap up work on my work-at-home day and the babysitter goes home, I love getting the chance to enjoy some mommy and Peanut time.

She watched me as I transferred my wallet and cell phone from the big honking tote bag that I carry to work into a smaller purse more suitable for a quick playground jaunt. "Why you need another purse, Mommy?" she asked.

I had to laugh. "One day you'll learn that you can never have enough purses and shoes, honey," I responded.

2nd Amendment rights for the Iraqis!

I don't always agree with everything John Aravosis says on Americablog, but he is completely on the money with his (admittedly snarky) analysis here. And he's going to get crucified for it, because THIS is the third rail of American politics: making even the most sensible call for some kind of gun control.

Guns don't kill people, evil-doers kill people. That's the theory a lot of Republicans are now promoting about the violence at Virginia Tech. If only those now-dead students had all been armed, the story goes, they'd have been able to start a mass circle of gunfire in the middle of their classroom and kill the shooter (and sure, they'd kill everyone else in the classroom too, but they'd be dead AND exercising their 2nd Amendment rights, so it'd be okay). Anyway, I say the Republicans put their money where their mouths are and establish a 2nd Amendment Marshall Plan (we can call it the LaPierre plan), and ship as many guns and other weapons as possible into the hands of every single Iraqi in order to help them defend themselves...

Race, and progress

Finally, some good news on the racial front here in America. In the same week that grizzled clown Don Imus was booted from his job for being a racist asshole (I remember him being on the radio when I was a little kid in the 70s--who knew he was even still alive, let alone still broadcasting his delightful program, in 2007?) we have this headline from the AP:

Interracial Marriages Surge Across U.S.

By DAVID CRARY AP National Writer

April 13,2007 NEW YORK -- The charisma king of the 2008 presidential field. The world's best golfer. The captain of the New York Yankees. Besides superstardom, Barack Obama, Tiger Woods and Derek Jeter have another common bond: Each is the child of an interracial marriage. For most of U.S. history, in most communities, such unions were taboo.

It was only 40 years ago -- on June 12, 1967 -- that the U.S. Supreme Court knocked down a Virginia statute barring whites from marrying nonwhites. The decision also overturned similar bans in 15 other states.

Since that landmark Loving v. Virginia ruling, the number of interracial marriages has soared; for example, black-white marriages increased from 65,000 in 1970 to 422,000 in 2005, according to Census Bureau figures. Factoring in all racial combinations, Stanford University sociologist Michael Rosenfeld calculates that more than 7 percent of America's 59 million married couples in 2005 were interracial, compared to less than 2 percent in 1970.

Coupled with a steady flow of immigrants from all parts of the world, the surge of interracial marriages and multiracial children is producing a 21st century America more diverse than ever, with the potential to become less stratified by race.

The Peanut says that is a good thing.

The Crank Monster cometh

So the Peanut is now 2 and a half, and she's developed multiple personalities. One minute she is a darling cherubic angel, sitting "criss-cross-applesauce" and flipping through her books, or stacking her blocks.

And then something sets her off (often we can't tell what) and the Crank Monster shows up, destroying everything in her path.

Maybe it's because she's got molars coming in? We (Mr. Fraulein and I) just wish we knew for sure what is causing these tantrums--aside from the fact that she's two years old--but even if we did, we might not be able to do much about it.

So we try to ride out the storm, not giving in to the increasingly-hysterical mid-tantrum demands. ("Get me my sippy cup" when it's 10 inches away from her, etc.) But man oh man, does it ever make you want to drink a giant glass of tequila.

And I don't even like tequila.