The 44th president of the United States was sworn in today. Some Americans are skeptical - will it be the "same show, different channel?" I don't think so.

It is we, the people, who have changed this time, not just the Commander in Chief. We are more involved and more compassionate. We won't let another administration lead us along and let us down. We will do our part, because we are called to. And because we've sat on the sidelines and watched for too long. And because our president will inspire us to act.

The country chose hope over fear. I'm proud and I'm hopeful for our future.

Working Mama

Well, the newest chapter in my life has begun: I officially started work at SUNY Stony Brook today. No more SAHM here. (That's "stay at home mom" for those of you who don't know Urban Baby discussion board language). (Oh, and SUNY is the State University of New York). I've joined the ranks of mothers who bring their kids to school in decent shoes and wearing make-up, and then march off to the office, shop, job site, studio.

What an enormous change! Wearing make-up - at 8 AM! I'm a woman who walked my kids to the end of the driveway to put them on the bus, in her pajamas! It had gotten so that I actually drove - 4 miles away - to my son's school to drop him off, again, in my pajamas!

So now I have to dress well, leave the house promptly and have the kids do a lot more for themselves. I can't direct them through every step of dressing and readying for school. Jack has to take the bus - even the early bus, which comes at 6:55. No more rides from mommy. And everyone has to pitch in with breakfast dishes and feeding the cat.

It's too early to comment on the job itself. My first day started with no phone line, no email address and a desk piled high with piles of... I don't know what because I don't now what anything is. I even managed to spill a little coffee on my mouse pad. No one bothered me, though. I felt a little like George Costanza when he got that new job and had to pretend to be working on "The Pensky File." I kept shuffling papers around and looking busy, so in case anyone did stop in, it wouldn't look too bad. (OK, I'm exaggerating, but not by much).

I chalked it up to typical first day trials and left my office with a smile on my face.

Wait, where did I leave?

My Office.

That's what I thought I'd said. That feels pretty cool.

Holiday Blogging Blues

I am so lame for not posting for an entire MONTH! You all are lame to still be reading, if you ask me. But nobody asked me, so...

I've been so distracted lately. So much is going on. We got a new computer. AND printer. And the new microsoft office 2007, for which the learning curve is longer than any of the other stuff I've installed. (Did I use "learning curve" correctly? I hate that expression. I'm simply being lazy and again, lame, to use it so carelessly). I had to reload all my documents, music, pictures and I've been trying to organize it all. Then, a friend strong-armed me into joining facebook. Now that's a time-waster, dontcha know. But I had to upload all the photos, and find all the friends and all that important stuff.

Then there was all the Christmas shopping. I know that if you're a parent, you know how hectic and stressful this time of year can be. My fellow blogger, Six, touched on the "financial, emotional and physical stress" of the holidays. Amen, brother. I still can't believe how much money I spent on 3 people under the age of 13. I had to find the right things, and the an equal amount of them. I had to combine what they wanted with what I wanted them to have. It all takes such a toll on me, since no one really wants to emphasize materialism at Christmastime. Which is why I put so much energy into decorating and keeping up special family traditions. The whole thing drains me, I tell you.

Add to that the little fact that I got a job! I didn't actually start doing it yet, but I accepted a part time administrative assistant's position in the Chemistry department at Stony Brook University. It's exciting, if not terribly well-paying. We'll be able to get health benefits, which is HUGE for us. And I'm finally moving ahead with my plans to return to school someday. But I gotta tell you - I believe I was in shock for the first couple of weeks there. I could hardly get my head around going out to work after being a stay at home mom for the past 12 years. I didn't even tell anyone for the first few days. It's taken quite a lot of getting used to, and as I mentioned, I didn't even start yet!!

All this and kids home for two whole weeks leaves this Mama very little time to blog. And I can tell you that the wintertime blues are starting to set in for me as well. I've fed my inner core with very little good stuff so very little creative stuff comes back.

I realize these are all terrible excuses and I go back to saying how lame I've been for neglecting my little blog. But I haven't forgotten it, nor have I stopped loving it.

I promise to be more attentive in 2009. It will be one of my new year's resolutions.